Fallen
by WingedXForever
Summary: Will Murtagh finally be set free of his bonds? Does Gallatorix finally die? If so, who kills him? Will Murtagh be able to live in the world without being ostracized? Will people be able to forgive him? Is he going to live through it all? COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

Fallen Chapter one

Fallen Chapter one

_Murtagh could feel the unease of those around him as he stalked down the corridor in Gallbatorix's bleak castle. _Everyone was uneasy, to say the least, with the son of Morzan around. He ignored them all and continued on his way to the King's throne room. Only a few people would look at him, and their gazes were either filled with fear or hate.

Their hate, in Murtagh's eyes, was unjustifiable. For one thing, he had never done anything to hurt them. If they cast their hate for Morzan on him, they were lower than he was. Secondly, he had not asked for this. He wished wholeheartedly that this had never happened to him. With each kill, his sorrow grew. If not for true names, Murtagh would not be in such a depressing position. He had never wanted to be something so evil, so fowl and disgusting. He hated what he had become as much as he hated his twisted father, Morzan.

When Murtagh arrived at the unnecessarily large doors to the throne room, he paused and took a deep breath, to keep him from breaking down into a fit of hysteria. _What am I doing? This is ridiculous! Do I even know where I am? _Who _I am? I don't get it… and I fear I never will… screw it. Just go in. _

He pushed open the door and walked to where Gallbatorix sat, a look of twisted joy all over his face.

"You summoned me." Murtagh said in monotone.

"Your voice is so flat." Gallbatorix chided. "…As usual. I wonder if you possess any emotion. No passion, no hate, no fear, no love. You're just an… empty man." It took all Murtagh had to not display the anger he felt. But in the back of his mind, he wondered if Gallbatorix was right. Ever since Murtagh arrived in Uru'Baen, he learned to suppress all emotion, for they show weakness and are easily exploited. When he first arrived, he felt fear but he was also brave and stood up to the king. When Thorn had hatched for him, he felt a sinking feeling. He knew he was trapped forever, and a feeling of ownership washed over him, despite his disappointment. After awhile, he felt lost and alone. Was Eragon coming for him? When it was proved that Eragon had discarded him like yesterday's news, he felt betrayal and deep sadness. Then he was relieved that Eragon had not come. Eragon was the last hope for this cursed land, and if he fell into the King's clutches, all was lost and Darkness would consume all that was good in this world. He had felt a lot within the first month and a half, but he finally realized that he had to get over it all and forget it. He taught himself to be empty, emotionless. He was merely a puppet, at the beck and call of Gallbatorix.

But there was one thing he felt. Hate. Not for anyone but himself. He hated what he was. Every time he saw himself in the mirror, he felt sick. When Gallbatorix gave him a task, a bitter taste filled his mouth and he took the job with reluctance. He so desperately wished that he could vanish. But alas, his wishes tended to fall unnoticed.

"All you are, Murtagh, is a play thing of mine. And I can do whatever I want with _what's mine." _ Gallbatorix said in a voice that just asked for Murtagh to erupt. But Murtagh did not fall for such tricks anymore. With rebellion came pain, and pain was one of the feelings he detested the most.

Gallbatorix sighed. "You're so _boring._ And you just can't seem to get the job done." At first, Gallbatorix sounded playful, but his last words came out with a tone that was pure evil. "I asked for you to get me the rider. And you come back empty handed, save for Zar'roc." Murtagh had taken Zar'roc from Eragon, his father's sword. It was his only inheritance, his cursed inheritance. "Why do you return with nothing?"

"I did what you said and I tried to get the rider. But he evaded my clutches, due to his new Elvin powers. It was unexpected, but I will prepare myself for next time." He said with a dull tone. His gaze was flat, not looking anywhere in particular.

"Lucky for you, there is a next time. I'm feeling generous tonight, and I allow you to live for a while more. But you can't go without punishment. I must teach you what is right and what is wrong. That is what a father is to do, and of course, your real one never did and that damned Tornac-"

"Hey!" Murtagh yelled. He had let Gallbatorix get his goat, but Tornac was a better man than anyone else in this filthy castle would ever be.

"Finally, I see some anger. Anyways, I think of myself as your adopted father. And I couldn't fail my _little boy. Will you let your daddy down, Murtagh?" _

Murtagh said nothing. After getting mad at him for what he said about Tornac, he did not want to give Gallbatorix what he wanted.

"Of course you will. If you do, I will be forced to do what _I so terribly do not want to do." _He sneered. Murtagh could only think _"Then when do you do it with a twisted smile?" _

"And this is an instance where a father must punish his son, something he hates to do. Murtagh, _will you ever learn?" _The last four words echoed throughout his head. Then, a searing pain erupted in his mind. It felt as if someone was assaulting his conscience with a dagger. He grabbed his head and cut off all bonds with Thorn; he did not want to cause his dragon such suffering.

It went on and on, like the pain would never end. Murtagh did not know it, but he had fallen to his knees and was crying in pain. When Gallbatorix finally stopped, Murtagh was lying on the floor, his breaths coming in short, raspy bursts. Gallbatorix summoned a guard who hauled Murtagh to his room.

As Murtagh was carried away, a voice sounded clear in his head.

_"Murtagh…You are among the __**fallen**__." _


	2. Chapter 2

Fallen Chapter 2

Fallen Chapter 2

Eragon yawned and stretched. _Back to Duweldenvarden, we go, _he though to himself. He got up off his blanket and watched Saphira and Arya sleep for a few moments, then when to wash up.

He arrived at a small pool. He held some water in his cupped hands and splashed it against his face. When he opened his eyes, a dark image swam before his eyes.

The pool had turned into a scrying device, even though Eragon had not tried to scry anyone. The image focused and he looked hard at the water.

_Gallbatorix stood, laughing in an evil voice. "Have you finally learned, my child?! Have you learned what happens to those when they defy my wishes?! Guards, take him away! I wish no longer to see his pathetic, beaten form." _

Eragon could not see who Gallbatorix was beating and torturing, but he felt pity for the pour soul. Gallbatorix had seemed ruthless in the vision.

The vision had not gone away yet. _There must be more, _Eragon thought.

_"--," Gallbatorix's lips moved, but no sound came out. "You are among the __**fallen**__." _

The image disappeared and left Eragon speechless. He sat, bewildered. What had he just seen? Who was the victim? How could he save them? Where were they?

Even though he wanted to save the victim, he could not due to the vague vision that he had just witnessed. He ran back to camp and Arya and Saphira were cleaning up. Eragon tried to hide his shock, but both women knew something was up. It could be due to the fact that Eragon's face was chalky white, or maybe just their intuition.

"Eragon," Arya began, "Are you alright?" He nodded weakly and walked to his spot. He grabbed his blanket and began to roll it up. Saphira growled at him.

_Something is up. Why do you hide it from us? _

_I'm not exactly sure what happened, but it was…terrible. _

_Tell us what you know. _Eragon sighed and recapped what had happened at the spring.

_Among the fallen…_Saphira repeated.

"It must be important. This must be told to the Varden and the Elves." Arya stated.

"What about when Gallbatorix spoke and I could not hear him?" Eragon questioned.

"Maybe he sent you the vision and does not want you to know who he was talking to. He might just want you to know that he has someone and he is abusing the person." Arya thought out loud.

"To torture me." Eragon said. "Or, I could have imagined the whole thing. Like, my conscience is trying to tell me something but it's not sure what exactly it wants to convey to me." They all agreed these were possible theories, but they could not be sure. All they could to was continue on to Duweldenvarden.

One thing rang loud and clear in Eragon's mind and it did not go away for some time:

_Among the fallen… _


	3. Chapter 3

Fallen Chapter 3

Fallen Chapter 3

Murtagh heaved himself up on Thorn.

_-Ready?_

_Yes._ Thorn jumped into the air and flew through the clouds. Gallbatorix had given Murtagh a mission and a warning.

_"If you do not bring me the boy, I will make sure you suffer more than you ever have before. Have a safe trip, _son_." _

"To hell with Gallbatorix," He said out loud, to no one in particular.

The mission was simple: Follow Eragon to Duweldenvarden and capture him, the dragon and the elf. He said that with Murtagh's black magic, he was sure all three would be no challenge. Murtagh was not so sure, but he had a little reassurance. Thorn promised to lend as much magic as he could.

The flight was uneventful and when night fell, they stopped to make camp.

_Sleep well, little one. _

_-Sleep well. _

As much as Murtagh tried, sleep refused to engulf him. He twisted and turned and even relaxed every muscle in his body, but nothing worked. He looked over at the sleeping dragon and wished he could sleep so peacefully.

He thought about the mission, which inevitably led to thinking about Eragon.

_"I'm sure he will be pleased to see you Murtagh, no?" _Gallbatorix had said with a contempt smirk.

_Very pleased, indeed, _Murtagh though sarcastically.

Suddenly, he realized something. He could not feel Gallbatorix's ever-impending presence in his mind. Gallbatorix always kept a link safely routed in his conscience and Murtagh could always feel the faint presence of evil, but now he could feel none at all.

_When Gallbatorix sleeps, his magic grows weak…_

Murtagh silently hollered with joy. He thought of things he could do, but none rose up to the occasion to sufficiently celebrate this epiphany. Then, something struck Murtagh.

_Would he believe me, though…?_


	4. Chapter 4

Fallen chapter 3

Fallen chapter 4

**A/N: Hey! Sorry my chapters are too short…And I will try to tie up some loose ends. Also, this wasn't set after Eldest or anything. I guess it's just in some random time… Well thanks for the reviews! Hopefully this next one is long enough…**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Eragon! **

Eragon settled in for a good night's rest, even though he doubted he would get any. The vision was still fresh in his mind. It tortured him. He could never stop thinking about it.

_Eragon, put it in the back of your mind. _Saphira had said. But for some reason, Eragon could not. For one thing, someone was being tortured and Eragon felt obliged to help the helpless. Secondly, Eragon felt that this person was more than just _someone_. He felt that he knew this person and cared deeply about whoever it was. Why else would Gallbatorix send him a vision like that? (If that were the case, of course.)

He tried and tried to sleep, and eventually, he finally fell asleep. But what was hidden in the darkness of his unconsciousness was unexpected…

Intense pale blue eyes stared at Eragon. Just two disembodied blue eyes looked at him, never blinking. He stared back, without showing the confusion that he felt, although he knew it probably did show. Slow, the eyes dissolved into darkness and the darkness changed to a green forest, much like the one where he met Arya. He heard a faint noise that sounded much like deep, throaty laughter. _Where have I heard that laugh before? _He thought.

He followed the laugh that was strangely comforting into the forest. Deeper and deeper he ventured and soon he wondered if it was just his imagination that made the familiar laugh. But he finally saw something, or _someone. _

A leg clad completely in black hung from a tree. As he ventured closer to the tree, he noticed that the leg was connected to a body. He looked up high in the tree to see none other than beholder of that comforting laugh.

Murtagh.

"Murtagh??" He gasped. He tried frantically to grasp his sword, but it was not with him. _He's come to kill me in my sleep, hasn't he? _

Murtagh only laughed at the confused boy. It pleased him so to see his little brother again.

"Little brother, I am not here to kill you." He said between laughs.

"How can I trust you?" Eragon asked with a suspicious expression.

"Ever the cautious one." Murtagh laughed again. Eragon was confused. Here Murtagh was, talking to Eragon in a dream, laughing uncontrollably. Wasn't he here to kill his younger brother?

"How do I know this isn't just my imagination?" Eragon asked himself aloud.

"I'm sure if I was ever in one of the dreams your imagination created, it would be a much darker nightmare than a laughable dream." Murtagh replied. He smiled from ear to ear, even though Eragon wasn't being amicable. Just seeing his brother alive, well and not in the clutches of Gallbatorix made him smile.

Murtagh looked down at Eragon from the tree. He saw that Eragon still looked like an elf. His pointed ears and squinted eyes stood out well in the green haze, or in any haze for that matter.

_I don't have a scar on my back anymore. _

That memory suddenly hit him like a giant wave. For a moment, his smile disappeared and he bore a somber expression. His eyes gazed at the ground and he stopped laughing. Eragon looked at him quizzically. _What is he thinking about? _He wondered.

A flood of memories hit Murtagh, but he suppressed them and was soon back to his joyous self. Eragon blinked at him and Murtagh jumped from the tree. Eragon jumped back a couple feet, still wary of his brother. This made Murtagh laugh his throaty laugh again.

"I guess it is good to be wary of your enemies," He laughed. "But you have no reason to be afraid. I hardly consider myself your enemy…" He trailed off.

"Ha!" Eragon spat. "Then what do you consider yourself, _brother?" _Eragon waited a moment as Murtagh hesitated to reply.

"…I guess more of a obstacle. Gallbatorix is your real enemy. I'm just in your way." He replied with a strong voice. Eragon tried not to gape. He was a bit surprised at this.

_An obstacle? Oh Saphira, where are you? I need to speak with you!_

"I guess you consider us enemies." Said Murtagh, breaking Eragon's thoughts. "I do appear to be one." Eragon titled his head a little at this. Murtagh didn't appear to be his enemy; he _was_ his enemy. Wasn't he? Why was Murtagh being so kind? _He's making small talk!_ Eragon thought. This was confusing. Was Murtagh against him or not?

"Brother," Murtagh began, again interrupting Eragon's train of though. "Would you listen for a moment? I can explain what's going on, if you listen." Eragon was utterly confused. He really wanted to know what was going on, so he sat and motioned for Murtagh to sit also. Then, Murtagh began his tale. First, he told Eragon what the King had sent him to do. He added in small comments about how he hated the king and how he hated this mission, but they were subtle. He doubted Eragon noticed.

"So why are you telling me this?" Eragon inquired.

"Ah, ah, I'm getting to that." Murtagh answered. "See, Thorn and I had landed for the night. I tried and tried to sleep but I just couldn't. And then, I realized I couldn't feel Gallbatorix' ever-imposing presence in my conscious. I realized I could do whatever I wanted without Gallbatorix in my head. I realized that when he sleeps, his magic weakens. So I racked my brain of something to do, and then I had an idea. I would contact you to see how you were doing and to tell you this. Also, to see if I could gain your trust and maybe just talk." Murtagh finished and waited for Eragon's reply.

It took awhile for it all to sink in. _The king's magic weakens when he's unconscious? This is valuable information! And Murtagh…_ He looked at Murtagh, but was still unsure. _How can I tell I can actually trust him? _He thought back to when he first heard Murtagh's laugh in the green forest. _It sounded just like his real laugh… _But was that proof enough?

"How do I know I can trust you?" Eragon repeated.

"I expected that question to come up. I haven't figured out a way either and I was a bit worried by that. You can't ask me what you've said then or what we did so long ago because Gallbatorix knows all my thoughts and memories…" Murtagh trailed off for a minute, but soon started back up again. "So he could have exploited something and may use it against you." Eragon processed this. _Would Gallbatorix let Murtagh tell me all this? _

"Wouldn't Gallbatorix learn of this as soon as he searched your mind?" Eragon questioned.

Murtagh answered, with his hand over his heart, "I will protect it with my life. I swear it upon Ajihad's grave." When Murtagh said this in the ancient language, Eragon knew he could trust Murtagh. Eragon got up and beckoned for Murtagh to follow suit. He had a serious look on his face and slowly walked to Murtagh. When he was about 5 inches away, he stopped and embraced his older brother tightly. A relieved sigh came from the older man and they began to laugh. After they calmed down, they began to talk.

"I'm very glad I finally have someone's trust again." Murtagh thought aloud. After asking each other how they were, they began to talk about all of Eragon's wild adventures and dull events. They shared laughs and talked for what seemed like forever.

"How's your relationship with Arya?" Murtagh prodded.

"Hm," Eragon breathed through his nose. "I guess you could say we've gotten closer. After I told her I loved her, she rejected me. But we've grown close again. I have no idea where it's going." Murtagh smirked. "What?" Eragon asked, a bit agitated.

"You never were much of a lady's man." Murtagh said and laughed.

"Humph." Eragon pouted a bit, but soon he too laughed. "Are there any women in Uru'Baen who've caught your eye?"

"Well, the only women in Uru'Baen are either Ladies who are very boring and married to Lords or their young daughters and I don't take interest in children. That's a bit creepy." Eragon and Murtagh laughed a bit more. They were both happy with the outcome of this meeting and they wished it would never end, but dawn was approaching quickly.

"Eragon," Murtagh said, his voice full of sadness. "Dawn is almost here. I must go." They gave each other one last brotherly hug and said their goodbyes. "I will contact you again, little brother."

"I would love that, brother." Eragon smiled. They turned and walked their own ways, even though it was a dream. Then Eragon remembered something. "Murtagh!" He yelled. Murtagh turned around.

"Yes little brother?" He replied.

"I had a vision the other day…" He began.

"Yes, and?"

"Well…" Eragon rehashed all that had happened when he saw the vision in the pool. "Do you know who that was?" A dismal expression was plastered on Murtagh's face and he did not reply for some time. "Murtagh?" Eragon whispered.

"That was I." Came the quiet reply.

"What?!" Eragon shouted in shock.

But Murtagh was already gone.


	5. Chapter 5

Fallen chapter 5

Fallen chapter 5

**A/N Hey guys thanks for the reviews! They were awesome!**

Eragon snapped upright. He looked around, but the green forest was gone, along with his brother. The sun was just rising over the trees and he knew somewhere, Murtagh had awoken.

_Gallbatorix was beating Murtagh…? Why would he do that? And what did he mean by 'among the fallen'? _

His head hurt. It was too early in the morning for this. Sensing his discomfort, Saphira awoke.

_Is something wrong, little one?_

_Murtagh…_

_What about him? _

_I spoke with him in my dreams…_

_And what did that _disgusting snake _want?_

_DON'T CALL HIM THAT! _

_I am confused. I thought we hated him. _

_We reconciled… He came to me in my dreams and we reconciled… _

_That is good. Is the old Murtagh back?_

_Not completely…_

Eragon explained to Saphira what happened in his dream. She laughed as they had and seemed happy that Murtagh was not completely consumed by the evil darkness. In fact, she was beaming with glee.

_Do you remember that weird vision I had?_

_Yes. What about it?_

_The one being beaten was…_

_Murtagh…_

_Yes. I don't know if that was the first time or if the beatings could get worse. I asked him if he knew who was getting beaten and he told me it was he and before I could question further, he disappeared. _

_And to think…we've wished him dead so many times._

Eragon felt sick to his stomach at that comment. His world spun before him and he gagged.

_Little one?_

Eragon ran to the forest and after a few minutes, he returned, his face chalky white.

_Are you okay?_

_Yeah…I feel sick and I feel horrible! I hate what I've done…_

_You did not know what was happening… He seemed fine in the dream, did he not? Forgive yourself, rider._

_But he's suffering because I live!  
And I'm sure he'd be willing to die to keep you alive. _

_I can't think about this right now… Let's just get to Duweldenvarden. _

Abruptly, Arya awoke. She looked at Eragon, who was swaying slightly and looked ill. "What is wrong?" She asked bluntly. Eragon saw no reason to argue and he did not have the strength to either, so he and Saphira told her what happened. "So, this is what has become of the son of Morzan…" No one spoke for a little while but Arya broke the silence. "We must continue to Duweldenvarden. Tell no one else of this, except Nasuada when we return. Pray that Murtagh lasts that long." And with that, they fell into an awkward silence and trudged on to their destination.

Murtagh and Thorn were high in the sky. Pleasure filled them both. The night had been so wonderful, although Eragon ruined the moment when he asked about Gallbatorix and his abusive ways. Still, Murtagh radiated joy and Thorn felt it as his own.

-_Hopefully, we don't catch up to them. _

_You know we must try, or I fear Gallbatorix will not have mercy this time. _

_-Yeah…_

Murtagh could feel the evil root embedded in his mind. It was a way for Gallbatorix to control him and bend him to his will. He detested the notion that Gallbatorix kept a hold on him, but there was nothing he could do, except wait for the day Gallbatorix died. Hopefully, that day would make haste.

Thorn had to land to eat and rest, so Murtagh explored the surrounding area. He took his yew bow and his sword and went hunting. He traveled far into the woods and for once, his was distracted from his horrible fate. The feeling of freedom running through a mysterious forest filled him from the top of his head to the tips of his toes.

He had killed a doe and two rabbits and brought them back to Thorn.

_Yum._

_-They were easy to catch. You can have the doe; the rabbits are sufficient enough for a human. _

_I have no objections._

_-I didn't think you would. _Murtagh chuckled softly. He wished he never had to leave the forest. If he could, he would have lived there. It was free. It was perfect. Except for a few aspects.

It was missing the few people he held dear.

After his meeting with Eragon, Murtagh wondered if he really could protect the memory from Gallbatorix. Gallbatorix was more powerful than he was. Gallbatorix knew his true name. Maybe something would happen before the memory was pried from him…

_Murtagh._

_-Yes?_

_I am ready to continue on. _

Murtagh sighed. He jumped onto the back of his massive dragon and bid farewell to the forest and his freedom.

**A/N I'm so sorry but this one was totally a filler. But, next should be something good…**


	6. Chapter 6

Fallen Chapter 6

Fallen Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I don't now own Eragon, or any of the characters. **

Eragon fell asleep, anxious to see Murtagh again and ask him about what other horrible things Gallbatorix did.

He found himself in the green forest; happy as he made his way to the tree they first met at. He had no comforting laugh to follow, but a soft humming noise. It sounded like a somber lullaby.

"Murtagh!" He greeted his older brother.

Murtagh jumped from the tree. "Little brother." He replied with a cheery tone. "How good it is to see you alive and well."

"Same here. How was your day?"

"Uneventful. And yours?"

"Boring, but every day we get closer to Duweldenvarden."

"That is good." An awkward silence filled the air, until Murtagh spoke. "Before we just talk, I must warn you: Do not trust me when we meet in daylight. I am controlled slightly by Gallbatorix then and I will be untrustworthy. He has access to any of my memories I do not protect."

Eragon nodded. "How…intrusive."

"Very." And it became quiet again.

"Murtagh," Eragon whispered, his voice cracking.

"What's wrong?"

"What I asked you last time…" His voice was hushed.

"What Gallbatorix does to me? I guess you want to know what he does." Murtagh finished his sentence.

"Yeah…if you don't mind telling me." Eragon said, not trying to pry.

"I might as well tell you." Murtagh sighed, his voice even. "Gallbatorix is a merciless man. If things do not go his way, he takes it out on his underlings. Manly me, since I work so closely with him. He blames me when things go wrong. He deals outs 'punishment'. He isn't a lenient man, if you could call him a man. He uses his magic to…to punish people. He invades your mind and racks your consciousness and body with unimaginable pain." Murtagh informed Eragon bluntly. "Not the best enemy, eh?" He laughed a bit, but he saw the worry in his brother's eyes. "Eragon, you have no need to worry. I am alive, am I not?"  
"But that doesn't mean you're not hurt! Brother, come with me! I'll save you!" Eragon pleaded with every bone in his body. He desperately wanted to save his brother. He couldn't imagine the hurt he shouldered, the pain he took. His eyes practically yelled to Murtagh to never go.

"Brother, as along as Gallbatorix is alive, I cannot be saved. And I want you to go nowhere near Gallbatorix; if he catches you, all is surely lost." Murtagh tried to make Eragon understand how dangerous it was for him to confront Gallbatorix, but he knew that Eragon was a stubborn, persistent man-two of the qualities he admired most in his brother.

"Why are you so unfaithful?" Eragon said quietly, staring past Murtagh. "Do you not believe one good soul can conquer an evil, powerful one? If I never confront Gallbatorix the pain will never stop, for you and the rest of Alagaesia. Do you not think the spirit of an oppressed land can rise up to defeat a tyrant?" Murtagh pondered this for a while, but he still wished that Eragon stayed out of it.

"My times in Uru'Baen have distorted my views on power and spirit. I'm not sure what to think anymore." He murmured.

"Murtagh. We will win. Gallbatorix is nothing compared to the fighting spirit of all that is good in the world." Eragon tried to comfort the man next to him. All this pain, all this suffering, and for what? For the conquest of one twisted man? It seemed like an unbalanced trade, but nevertheless, it was made and now, it had to be stopped. And it had to be stopped by those who where cheated. "It will all come to pass." Eragon assured.

"Someone told me that before." And Murtagh recited these words:

_Do not worry yourself _

_Over the pains of time_

_It all comes to pass_

_Just rest your head for now_

_On a soft bed of grass_

_When it's all said and done_

_We will be left standing._

"How very right that person was." Eragon mumbled.

"I'm sorry. I imagine this breaks your heart." Murtagh said suddenly.

"What do you mean?" Eragon asked, confused.

"I am so friendly now, but we will have to meet in battle and it will make this all the more painful."

"I don't care! I enjoy this time! When we meet in battle, we will understand each other more! Do not worry; I'm sure it will work out in our favor." Eragon said, worried at what Murtagh had said.

"Our favor…" Murtagh repeated in a hushed tone. The forest fell silent and the two brothers bonded without words. After a while, they became uncomfortable, but they began to make small talk.

"Tell me about your family." Murtagh said. "I believe I have a right to know." He laughed a bit.

"Well, Garrow, Mother's brother, was the one who raised me. He took me in and acted as if I was his own. He and my aunt, who is deceased, told me gently of our mother. They were so nice… The Ra'zac killed Garrow. Roran, my cousin, was like a brother to me. We were close friends…he left a little while before Garrow died. He wishes to marry the butcher's daughter, Katrina. You might have heard of Roran Stronghammer; that is he." Murtagh nodded and made small comments. "What of our mother?" Eragon asked, his voice a bit shaky.

"She died when I was young…of what I remember, she had blonde hair and was fairly tall. She had a skin tone much likes ours and had jade eyes. She was very pretty and soft-spoken. She loved out father…for a while. Then she was shown his nastier side. I remember after Morzan…wounded me, she cried a lot. But for some reason, she still loved him a bit. She believed the evil man was not the real Morzan and her lover would return. I knew at a young age that that was just a delusion so she didn't have to accept the fact that she loved one of the most hated men.

"I didn't see much of her. I don't know where she was. When I did see her, she looked at me with sympathy. I remember Tornac was around me a lot more than she was. He kind of took Morzan's place as a father. When mother left, she sang softly to me and told me that Tornac loved me more than she did, so I was to stay her under his care. She was sorry she could not save me, but she was saving my brother. She told me that she hoped I would meet him one day." He spoke with no sadness. Murtagh did not remember her much and she was never around much, even though she did love him. He remembered her as a sad woman.

"Oh…" Eragon breathed. They sat for a little while more.

"Eragon, please, if you meet me in the day, know that the rout of evil is embedded in my mind and it makes me act horribly." Murtagh said suddenly, his voice pleading.

"Murtagh I know. I understand." Eragon replied.

"Good." Murtagh sighed in relief. They talked some more and walked around a bit. It was relaxing, wandering in the green haze. But when it came to an end, the brothers were reluctant.

"I'm bound to catch up to you soon, brother." Murtagh warned.

"I thought as much." Eragon breathed. It pained him to see him go and hurt him even more to know he would soon face his brother in combat. "I wish it wouldn't happen though."

"Some wishes fall unfulfilled, Eragon. But do not worry; it has to get worse before it gets better. Trust me, all will come to pass and a new, calm era will begin." With that, Murtagh walked away and disappeared, and Eragon slowly woke up. Reality was the last thing he wanted to face.

**A/N This is kind of another filler, but I promise something good will happen next! (At least, I think it's not a filler.) **


	7. Chapter 7

Fallen Chapter 7

Fallen Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I don't own Eragon. **

_Eragon, stop pouting. _

_Saphira, I'm not pouting! I'm down right depressed! Pouting barely sums it up!_

_You know what Murtagh said. Can you not trust in his wisdom? _

_I don't want to fight him. Saphira, I can't fight him! _

_Eragon, calm down. Go to sleep. Get your mind off this. I will wake you when something happens. _

With that, Eragon dozed off into a dreamless sleep.

Murtagh saw them. He was so close. But he couldn't bring himself to approach them. He knew Eragon told them about their meetings, so they would understand. But he just couldn't challenge Eragon.

_-Thorn, I can't do this._

_Yes, you can._

_-Thorn, I feel sick._

_You're just nervous._

_-I guess you're right. But I…I can't face him. Thorn…_

_Murtagh, let's just get it over with. _

Murtagh gave up and flew towards Saphira, Arya and Eragon. When they were within earshot, he called out to them.

"Eragon Shadeslayer!" His three friends turned around. "I am taking you to Gallbatorix. You can resist or surrender peacefully. Choose wisely, Dragon Rider." Eragon looked somberly at Murtagh. He mouthed his brother's name and drew his sword.

The battle had begun.

For what seemed like hours, they summoned their magic and attacked each other. The battle was full of explosions and blasting colors and the sky was alive with forced hate.

When they began to tire, they landed and dueled with swords. None of them spoke a word, and sweat drenched their foreheads and plastered their hair to their skin. When it seemed like there would be no victor, Eragon struck Murtagh down with such force that a loud thump resonated through the field they were fighting in. Murtagh slowly got back up, but he immediately clutched his head and doubled over. His arm was out as if to stop someone from advancing towards him.

"Murtagh?" Eragon panted. He reached for the older man, but something unexpected happened.

"No, I'm sorry!" He began to yell.

"What are you sorry for?" Eragon asked, puzzled.

Murtagh stumbled back unsteadily. "No…" He whispered, barely able to make any sound at all. His head was pounding and he shook violently. Then, he tripped over and landed with a thump, unconscious.

Eragon looked at Thorn with a concerned look. Thorn looked tired and worn.

_He was hallucinating it. Gallbatorix was not hurting him and there was no pain. This has happened before. Murtagh was not just affected physically. His mind was affected too. _

Eragon looked back at Murtagh. Sweat beaded his brow and his eyes were clenched shut. Night slowly crept over the sky and he knew Murtagh was no threat now.

"Will he be okay?" Arya asked.

"I don't know. Probably, but I just don't know."

"Maybe he will contact you in his dreams?" Arya wondered aloud.

"I can try." So Eragon lay his head down and tried to find Murtagh in the green haze.

"Brother!" Eragon called again. His throat was raw and he wondered if Murtagh was there at all. Just when he acknowledged that his search was hopeless, he saw a black form by a bush. He ran over and sure enough, it was Murtagh, doubled over in pain.

"Eragon," He coughed.  
"Murtagh, what happened?" Eragon practically yelled, his voice shaking. But Murtagh could barely talk. He laid his head in is brother's arms. All he could say was "Gallbatorix" and "it hurt". He was shaking violently and Eragon worried deeply about Murtagh's condition. He let his brother rest in his embrace. He sat and comforted him until Murtagh finally created a sentence.

"I'm sorry…I didn't mean to…" He got out, his voice raspy and his breath labored.

_He was so badly affected by the hallucination…odd…_

"It's okay, it's okay. You don't have to worry. We'll figure something out." Eragon pleaded his brother to just rest. A tear fell down his face when he couldn't take it anymore. He was so mad. The tear plopped onto Murtagh's head and a storm followed. It woke Murtagh up enough to tell his brother something.

"Eragon…I'm going to wake up…I need to talk with all of you." Eragon could just nod. He let his brother go and woke up.

**A/N I hope you liked this one and I hope you didn't think it was a filler! **


	8. Chapter 8

Fallen Chapter 8

Fallen Chapter 8

**A/N hey thanks for all the awesome reviews! I have this really bad cold and my day has been really bad, and I read the reviews and it made me feel sooo much better! Thanks a bunch! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Eragon.**

When he awoke, Eragon realized he had actually been crying. For a few minutes, he just lay there shivering. He did not want to face the world. For once, he just wanted to give up and stay there for a while. He just wanted to be left alone. He just wanted to rest his weary eyes for a while.

But he knew he had to wake up when he heard a groan. In a second, he had rushed over to Murtagh, who had sat up and looked around through those intense storm like eyes. "Eragon…" He breathed. "I can't go back to Gallbatorix without you, Arya and Saphira…He will most likely kill me, or come close to it."

Eragon almost screamed at this. He couldn't take it anymore. He hated it. Gallbatorix was swinging Murtagh over Eragon's head like a bully swinging a child's toy, provoking him to just try and get it. He hated it how everything came down to Gallbatorix in the end. Gallbatorix controlled everything and he always gave Eragon hell in some way. He wanted this to end already. He wanted to yell to the heavens. He wanted to return to Gallbatorix what he had done, ten times worse. Eragon punched the ground and yelled, "Damn it! Why can't Gallbatorix just give up?!"

"Because Gallbatorix always gets what he wants in the end and his upset that you keep evading him. You provoke Eragon. You taunt him. He thinks you mock him and he wants it to end." Murtagh informed Eragon. It made Eragon a little pleased that he was causing Gallbatorix something stressful.

"Eragon," Arya said, her voice silky and flowing. "I have an idea." Eragon nodded and she told them what she thought. She said they should have Murtagh go back to Gallbatorix with them following right behind. At night, Murtagh could let them in and show them to Gallbatorix's chambers and Eragon could kill him in his sleep. But some people, one to be exact, did not agree.

"I will not lead you that close to the center of all this pain!" Murtagh shouted. "That's dangerously close, and Gallbatorix could capture you! I will not jeopardize your life!" Murtagh's voice was full of passion, and he could not remember the last time he felt so strongly about something.

_"Your voice is so flat." Gallbatorix chided. "…As usual. I wonder if you possess any emotion. No passion, no hate, no fear, no love. You're just an… empty man."_

He always thought Gallbatorix was right. He always believed he was just a thing with no soul. He thought his soul had died the day he was captured at Farthen Dur.

But this emotion filled him up. He had forgotten what this felt like. He realized how lonely he was without, how sad he was without it.

"I will go back to Uru'Baen _alone,_ save for Thorn, and I will take the punishment for letting you escape. If I die, there is still hope left."

There was an eerie silence until Eragon said something barely audible. "How many people must die for my sake?" Every head turned to look at him. "How many people must die before the world is set right? Murtagh, this is the perfect chance to end it all!" His voice increased in volume. "We have to take it! This could be our only chance. Murtagh whether you like it or not, we're going with you to Uru'Baen! I'm going to stop all this, once and for all!" He breathed in a deep breath and everyone just stared at him. Saphira bowed her head to show her agreement. Arya looked at him with an approving glare.

"Do what you will, but I strongly caution you against it." Murtagh said after a while. "Thorn and I leave now." He jumped onto his dragon and they launched into the air. Arya got onto her horse and Eragon followed Murtagh on Saphira.

_Let's not follow too closely. _

_I'll try._

Eragon, Saphira and Arya were hidden safely a few miles from Uru'Baen. Murtagh would contact them the minute he was in the palace and they would follow him in. He would go talk to Gallbatorix and while Gallbatorix was distracted, they would come in and hopefully, kill the tyrant.

Murtagh sighed. He found himself here again, in front of the throne room doors. How many more times would this happen? This spot was becoming boring and it was driving him to the brink of insanity. He breathed deeply and opened the doors. "Gallbatorix." He addressed his master in a dead voice.

"Back so soon?" Gallbatorix asked nicely. "And where is your quarry?" He glared at Murtagh and for a moment no one spoke.

"They evaded me." He said. "I started out too late and by the time I caught up to them, they were in Duweldenvarden."

"Murtagh," Gallbatorix said in a slick tone, "You have failed daddy again. _I am so sad._" Gallbatorix sneered. A dark shadow fell over the throne room. "Why, Murtagh, why? I thought you loved me. Why are you such a troublesome son? Morzan failed miserably with you. No wonder he never tried." Murtagh did all he could to contain his temper. "Well, I guess we'll have to try again. Murtagh, I must punish you."

Murtagh wished he could cut off all ties with Thorn, but he had to keep them up in case something happened to Eragon, Arya and Saphira. Thorn had also told Murtagh to share the pain with him. He wanted to be there for Murtagh, through think and thin.

An invisible hand wrapped around his torso, crushing his ribs and lungs. He was thrown across the room and he hit the wall and then smashed on the ground. With his back turned, Gallbatorix could not monitor the door.

Eragon and Arya snuck through, with Saphira waiting above the roof. But someone was not fooled.

"Good to see you, Eragon. So glad you could join us." Gallbatorix said, utterly pleased. "I was just teaching Murtagh something. Pay close attention, Dragon Rider." The invisible hand around Murtagh tightened and he felt like Gallbatorix would snap him in half. While the invisible hand tightened, he felt something whipping his legs. He stifled cries and took the beating with dignity. Then, the definite sound of cracking bones echoed throughout the chamber. Everyone knew Murtagh's ribs had been crushed, but he did not make a sound; he would not give Gallbatorix that pleasure.

Eragon could not watch. He could not stand idle, as his brother was tortured. Arya stood rigid and still, waiting for the end.

When Gallbatorix thought he had gotten his point across, he held Murtagh down with the invisible hand and walked over to him. "I will bend you until you break." He whispered in the broken man's ear. Murtagh moaned and closed his eyes.

Gallbatorix turned his attention to his visitors.

"How rude of me to ignore you, but I had to discipline this disobedient boy." Gallbatorix shook his head as if in disapproval. "So, Eragon, have you come to join with me?" Gallbatorix talked to Eragon as if they were old acquaintances, like they were at a dinner party sipping tea like old men.

"Never." Eragon ground out. "Especially after that…performance." His jaw was clenched tight and he was seeing red. How could someone be so cold? To just hurt someone like that in cold blood? He had just grazed the surface of how twisted Gallbatorix was.

"Humph. What a shame." Gallbatorix shook his head again. "Would you like to join the ranks of the fallen, just like your brother?" Eragon hissed. "_I can make you my slave, boy." _

With that, Gallbatorix began assaulting Eragon's mind and sifting through his memories. Murtagh had woken up and tried to stand. He saw what Gallbatorix was doing and he did not want to risk his brother's true name being found out. All hope would be lost.

Gallbatorix began to speak. "You know, Eragon, I expected this. I knew Murtagh would screw up, but you would want to help him. I knew you would come. You are _so _predictable." Eragon was writhing and convulsing in pain. Murtagh could not take it. He could not stand the cries of his brother. Arya had clenched her eyes shut and Gallbatorix through her to the ground with an invisible hand. "This is so _fun! So easy!" _Gallbatorix cried in twisted pleasure.

_-Thorn! _

_I am here._

_-Lend me your strength. This may be the final breath we take. I love you, Thorn. You deserve better than me._

_Do not say such a thing. I love you, too. Let us die with honor. I deserve nothing more than you do. We deserve each other. _

With that, Murtagh unsheathed Zar'roc. Everything seemed so quiet to him. It seemed as if all sound was gone. It was like the quiet before the storm. All the animals had gone into hiding. It was silence, and almost a calm, soothing silence. He ran at Gallbatorix, who turned around in time to see Murtagh coming.

A scream ripped through the air and broke the unexpectedly calming silence.

**A/N Cliffie! I can just see the people reading this yelling "NOT A CLIFFIE! NOOO!" Heehee. Yes, yes IT IS A CLIFF HANGER! MUAHAHAHA! But I will update soon! x **


	9. Chapter 9

Fallen chapter 9

Fallen chapter 9

**A/N Okay I updated cause well, I don't know really know. I was really bored and decided to work on the fic, so here it is! I hope you like it! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Eragon**

Eragon looked up to see Murtagh drive Zar'roc through Gallbatorix's heart. But what he also saw brought tears to his eyes. Gallbatorix had taken his sword and driven it through Murtagh's stomach. Blood was trickling out of each man's mouth.

Before he died, Gallbatorix sucked in a breath and said "I'm taking you with me." Then he closed his eyes and slumped to the floor. Murtagh stumbled backwards and drew the sword from his stomach. It had almost gone all the way through. Blood poured from his wound.

_NOW, SAPHIRA! _Eragon shouted with his mind. Saphira crashed through the roof as Thorn more or less fell through it. Murtagh's pain was his own and he, too, was dying. Eragon protected Murtagh from the falling shards of rock and then picked up his friends body and threw him onto Saphira. Arya followed them and they launched through the roof. The men and soldiers poured out of the castle. They knew immediately that their king was dead. The soldiers cheered, but the lords were not so happy. Even though each lord secretly lived in fear with his family, his king had still given him riches. But they were smart, and took their families away so when the Varden's soldiers came, they would be safe. The soldiers planned their return home.

The sky was dark. They had been flying for hours and Surda they would soon see. Dawn was rising over the hilltops, and a red dawn it was. The clouds were illuminated with a fiery red hue. As tired as Eragon and Arya were, they barely managed to seal Murtagh's wound, although it would open again soon. The healers would surely do a better job. The savior of Alagaesia had lost a lot of blood already. His face was a chalky white and his lips were closed tightly together. Thorn was flying dangerously close to the treetops.

_Thorn, how are you holding up?_

_I die when my rider dies. But I will make sure we make it to Surda. _

_How do you feel?_

_Pain ripples through my body in giant waves and a massive headache splits my mind. It does not stop, the pain. I have never felt so horrible. And my ribs; it is hard to breath. I'm surprised we've lasted this long. _

_We'll be at Surda soon._

"Eragon," Arya whispered, afraid to wake Murtagh, if that was possible. "How are we going to explain this to everyone?"

"What do you mean?" He asked, a bit confused. "We will tell them Murtagh killed Gallbatorix."

Arya sighed. Eragon was so dense. "_He's _the _red rider. _Will people trust him? Will people accept him?" She practically had to spell it out for Eragon.

"If I trust him, everyone will surely follow suit. If you trust him, everyone will surely follow suit. If Nasuada trusts him, everyone will surely follow suit. If Saphira trusts him, there is no doubt that everyone will follow suit." Eragon replied, being a bit repetitive.

Arya nodded her head. People were so…unoriginal these days. If the hero does something, everyone does the same thing. What had her home come to? She laughed to herself. This was such a funny thing to worry about.

They flew for a little while longer and soon, Surda came into view and Eragon could almost hear the trumpets blowing, the heavenly chorus of angels singing. Eragon grabbed Murtagh and he and Arya jumped off. "Take Thorn to the Dragon Hold and comfort him. His health depends on Murtagh's." Eragon directed Saphira. As she flew off, they ran as fast as they could, with Murtagh limp between them, to Nasuada's chambers. His wound had reopened, and left a trail of blood all the way down the hall.

They burst into Nasuada's front room, and she looked up from the book she was reading. She wore a long, elegant gold and brown dress. She seemed engrossed in the book she was reading, but was easily peeled away from it when the heavy doors crashed open. She covered her mouth and stifled a cry. "My gods, what happened!"? She yelled. She ran over, as fast as she could in her skin-tight dress, and helped Arya and Eragon carry Murtagh to the healers. As they went, Eragon explained what had happened. "Oh my," She whispered.

When they arrived at the healers' chambers, Nasuada ordered them to heal Murtagh, no questions asked, except about his condition. They stripped off all his clothes above his hips and worked well into the day. It was harder than just sealing a wound. When it was over, one walked out to update the three worried people what they discovered. "We sealed the wound; he's going to have a nasty scar." The woman began.

_As if that isn't new._ Eragon thought to himself.

"He lost _a lot _of blood. We could make a transfusion…" The woman hinted. She meant that they would need blood from a relative if he were to have a chance of living. Eragon nodded; he would give up his blood for his brother any day. The healer went on. "It seems that the edges of the sword he was stabbed with was coated with poison; it's been injected into his system." Eragon gaped. Arya looked at the floor and Nasuada covered her mouth. "It's affected him. He has a high very fever and some other symptoms. But, we're going to get it out of his system soon, at least, as much as we can. It won't all come out. It might stay with him through the rest of his life." Everyone silently added on something: _However long it lasts. _"He's resting right now. We have some healers in there removing the poison but if you want to see him, you can hang by the back." She nodded and let them into the room where a life was a hair trigger away from giving up. They hung by the back as the healers worked over Murtagh. It had been an hour or so, and Eragon felt the need to visit the dragons. Arya and Nasuada stayed behind and Arya would contact Eragon if anything came up. Eragon thought to Murtagh:

_Don't die yet. And if you decide to die anyways, wait till I'm back. _

And as Eragon left, something in Murtagh's mind registered.

_Why would I die, brother?_

Eragon ran through the halls. He wanted to get to the Dragon hold. If he could talk to Thorn, he would know how Murtagh was holding up.

_Why did this have to happen? Why did Murtagh do that? He could die! Why did he…why did he sacrifice himself for me? Wouldn't he rather live? _ Tears streamed down his face. He tripped over his shaking feet and fell. He just sat there. He didn't have the strength to get up. _This is going too fast. I can't keep up. I can't take this! And again, it's all Gallbatorix's fault! It always comes back to him._

_-Gallbatorix is dead now, brother. He will never hurt us again. _

Was Eragon hearing things? Did he just imagine Murtagh talking to him?

_Murtagh…?  
Yes brother? Are you surprised?_

_Very. _

Murtagh chuckled. _-I heard you when you tried to talk to me earlier. I ask again: Why would I die, brother?_

_The poison…_

_-That's not enough to keep me down. I want to see the better days of our world. We are still young brother. Life should not end so soon._

_Murtagh! Oh, gods, I am so glad you decide to pull through. But…how long will you take?_

_-I don't know. Maybe I should make you wait awhile, Hm? _

_You wouldn't._

_-I guess I would not. Very well. I will try to recover as quickly as possible. _

_Good. I will wait. _

_-Well, I suppose you should get up now. Saphira is awaiting your news._

_And what of Thorn?_

_-I do believe my dragon is asleep, but he may wake soon. _

_I will speak to you again, brother?_

_-Yes._

Eragon got up and continued on his way to see the dragons. When he reached the dragon hold, he stopped for a moment and breathed. His exhilaration fueled him all the way to the dragon hold. Saphira would be pleased.

_Eragon! _Saphira called when Eragon walked in. Thorn opened an eye and woke up a bit.

_Thorn, how are you?_

_Tired. It still hurts, but not as much. Thank your healers. I think we will live. _

_That is good. _

_And what about Murtagh? _

_Well, they sealed his wound. They said he would have a nasty scar._

_Another? The poor soul._

_Men don't mind battle scars._

Saphira scoffed. _Whatever. _

_They said Gallbatorix had poison on the edge of his sword. They removed as much poison as they could, but there is a little left. It will affect him a little for the rest of his life. But overall, they think he will pull through and almost fully recover. _

The atmosphere in the room seemed to lighten a bit.

_I talked to Murtagh. _

_He is awake?_

_No, he talked to me through my mind, surprisingly. He said he would do his best to live and recover. _

It made everyone even happier. They chatted lightly for a while. Relief took the reins from stress and everyone calmed.

And although Murtagh said he would wake up soon, it does not mean nightmares would not haunt his sleep.

**A/N Like it? Happy that Murtie lives? (I sincerely hope so!) Well, keep reading! I'll get chapter 10 up as soon as possible. **


	10. Chapter 10

Fallen Chapter 10

Fallen Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I don't own Eragon**

_He heard the crashing of clumsy feet down the hallway and flinched. The sound was not a comforting one. In fact, it scared him. He knew any moment that man would crash through and lose it. He scrambled under his covers, hoping the man would think he's not there or asleep. But he couldn't trick such a powerful person. _

_"MURTAGH!" Came the deep voice. It reminded Murtagh of fingernails scratching a chalkboard. It was a painful sound. "GET YOUR ASS OUT FROM UNDER THE COVERS!" When he heard the demand, he knew he had to get out from bed. He wanted to stay safe. He knew his father was drunk and it was even worse when he was wasted. He braced himself and opened his door. "Boy, where have you been? I've been calling you for hours!" Morzan yelled. _

_"Father, you just called for me now. I didn't hear your call until just now." Murtagh said in a tiny voice. _

_Morzan laughed and grabbed Murtagh by his hair. "Are you goin' deaf, boy?" He whispered, close to his son's face. His breath reeked of vodka and other alcohol. Murtagh scrunched his nose at the vile smell. "I asked you a question. _Are you goin' deaf or what?"

_"No, father. I can hear fine." He responded. Morzan slapped the young boy across the face._

_"No you can't. If you could, you would have heard me callin yer name. Now tell me somethin'." He clenched his son's hair harder. Murtagh tried hard not to flinch, but he was only three and a half. "Is yer mom around?" _

_"I don't know where she is…" Morzan slapped him again._

_"Yes you do! She's in yer room, I bet!" Morzan shouted. _

_"No, dad, she's not!" He cried._

_"Don't talk back ta' me, boy!" Morzan yelled, but his words were slurred. He kicked his son in he stomach and threw him at the wall. Just as Murtagh got up, came a man with a brown goatee and his crew cut hair was a chestnut brown. He had a nice, gentle smile and a smooth face. His goatee was always perfectly cut. He wore black leather pants and black leather boots; a long sleeved brown shirt, black leather gloves and a forest green cloak. Murtagh rejoiced when he came round the corner. A sigh escaped him, but Morzan glared at him evilly. _

_"Morzan." Tornac's deep, throaty voice came. "Gallbatorix would like to see you and Murtagh for dinner." Murtagh got a scared look on his face. He had only met Gallbatorix once before that he could remember. The first time was when he was a baby. Gallbatorix wanted to meet the son if his right hand man. It was not a very pleasant meeting, but the small baby was not harmed. The second time was when Murtagh turned three. Gallbatorix wanted to host a small party and that did not end well either. Long story short: Murtagh did not like it when he had to meet with him. _

_"Tell him we are on our way." Morzan said._

_"Actually, Morzan, he wants me there too, so shall we not go together? I haven't spoken with you in awhile." Tornac said politely. His voice was deep but it was so light and carefree. Murtagh loved the way it sounded, especially compared to Morzan's. He wished he could have a voice like Tornac's. _

_"Fine. Let us walk. Come, Murtagh." Morzan ordered and Murtagh followed slowly behind the older men as they talked casually. When they reached the giant doors to Gallbatorix's chambers, Murtagh paused. Tornac and Morzan walked in, but Murtagh loitered behind. "Boy! Come on!" Morzan commanded. Murtagh jumped a little and then ran in. Gallbatorix had a long table set out and for places were set up. _

_"Welcome." Gallbatorix spoke in a cool, even tone. "Sit. Let's have dinner."_

_"Why the sudden decision to have a dinner like this?" Morzan asked. _

_"I was bored and I hadn't talked to any of you lately. I think this will be nice." He replied, though the tone of his voice was not welcoming at all. They all took their seats and were served their food. Murtagh was dead silent as the adults talked. Sometimes it was casual and sometimes it was about war. But Murtagh did not really care. Plus, they were using big words and Murtagh was a small child. _

_"Murtagh," Gallbatorix said in a sweet tone, "You are so quiet. Is there something wrong?"_

_"No, sir." _

_"Then why are you so quiet? Put your two cents in, son." Gallbatorix was actually acting nice, like a grandfather and it confused Murtagh._

_"Well, I'm only three…I don't really know what you're talking about…" He responded quietly._

_"Well, then, what do you want to talk about?" Gallbatorix asked. Murtagh felt like this was a trap. He felt like Gallbatorix was looking for a way to ruin his night. _

_"I don't know. There's nothing much to talk about." Murtagh said, acting confident. He looked Gallbatorix square in the eye, even though it sent shivers down his spine. _

_"Do you like Dragons, Murtagh?" Gallbatorix asked. Murtagh still did not understand why the king was acting this way. _

_"Yeah." _

_"Have you ever seen your father's dragon?" _

_"Once before, as I was passing the dragon hold. He was a very strong looking dragon." _

_"Of coursssse he isss. He'sss powerful, and almosttt asss powerful as the king'ssss dragon…" Morzan said, though his words were slurred and his S's were held out. He was even more intoxicated than earlier and Tornac had asked the servants to stop serving the alcohol, but no one would resist Morzan's wishes for the drink. _

_"Do you want a dragon, Murtagh?"_

_"I guess."_

_"You may get one yet. You may just get one yet."_

_"Like hell he willl…He'sss a wimp…" Morzan said, hiccupping after he finished his sentence. Murtagh blushed furiously and looked at his shoes._

_"Well, he's three." Tornac said._

_"Sssoooooo?" Morzan's voiced changed pitches by practically an octave. "He should be…stronga…" _

_"Father, please…" Murtagh whispered. He hated it when his father was drunk and what was worse was that Morzan let Murtagh see his drinking-induced actions without regret. He seemed to like seeing the fear and surprise on the small boy's face._

_"Wha? Wha d' ya' want?" Morzan asked, his words hard to make out. _

_"Just, don't talk about that. It's uncomfortable…" Murtagh said, his voice pleading. _

_"S' wha' if it's uncomfatabull? I'll show ya'…uncomfatabull…c'me 'ere…" Morzan stood up and dragged his son to his feet. "You just a little…annoying…shit! You a' useless!" Morzan unsheathed Zar'roc and cut his son down, from his right shoulder to his left hip. The cut was long and deep and Murtagh passed into unconsciousness immediately, but not before letting out a screech of pain. Tornac jumped up and ran over to Murtagh's side, watching as the color drained rapidly from his face. Morzan had passed out from the alcohol and Gallbatorix had men take him to his quarters._

_"How unfortunate." Gallbatorix chided as Tornac took Murtagh and ran from the room to fetch the healers and find Selena. "The poor thing might actually die." _

_Tornac had left Murtagh with the healers and ran through the halls of the castle. He ran to the slave quarters and fetched Selena. "Selena!" He shouted. "Come!" She briskly walked out of the room and held herself high with dignity even though she was a slave. She had, after all, given birth to one of the most powerful man's son. Even though no one knew, she could still be proud, right?_

_"What?" She asked. Her silky smooth voice seemed to sooth anyone whose ears it fell upon, but not Tornac's. Not tonight, not ever. He wondered why this woman loved Morzan. He wondered why Selena never secretly saw Murtagh. She had the time, but she chose to spend it with Morzan instead. Tornac saw Murtagh more than Selena and he knew Murtagh better than Selena. _

_"Morzan, he hurt Murtagh. Badly." Tornac said bluntly. _

_"How bad?" She asked. She sounded a little sad, but not as sad as she should. What was wrong with her?_

_"Fatally." Tornac was not a man to beat around the bush. He did not mince words. If he had something to say, he said it. _

_Selena sucked in a breath. "Take me to him." Tornac laughed silently. Like Selena really cared. But maybe she did. To Tornac, it just seemed like Selena did it to please Morzan. _

_When Selena was allowed to see Murtagh, she burst into tears. "I knew it would happen eventually." She sobbed. "Why didn't I try to save him? What a terrible mistake…" Tornac held her around the shoulders. Even though sometimes Tornac resented Selena, she was his friend and he wanted to comfort her. Murtagh was her only son. _

_"Having Murtagh was not a mistake."_

_"But letting him stay in Uru'Baen was. Now he may die." _

_Murtagh slept on the bed the healers had moved him to. They had sealed his wound, but the scar was long, gruesome and ropy. He had lost a lot of blood, and the healers doubted he would live._

_Selena stroked his hair. She sang softly to Murtagh and he would occasionally mumble incoherently in his sleep. At least he was alive. _

_When he woke up, he moved and flinched. Any movement hurt the fresh scar._

_"Murtagh," Selena cooed. _

_"Mother?" _

_"Do you not recognize me? I would not be surprised; I rarely see you. I'm sorry sweetie." _

"_Mother…Where is father?" _

"_I do not know." Selena whispered. Murtagh sighed. Tornac walked in._

"_Good to see you alive!" Tornac laughed with joy. "You're stronger than you look!" Murtagh smiled a weak grin and lay back down. He, Selena and Tornac talked and chatted. When Murtagh fell back asleep, Selena was ordered to see Morzan._

_A minute after Selena left, Murtagh whispered while still unconscious, "I knew it wouldn't last."_

_Murtagh woke up and looked around. _"Where am I?"_ He asked himself. He looked around and deducted he was still in the healer's rooms._

"_You awake." A deep evil voice rumbled. Murtagh looked around, but he could not find the possessor of the voice. But he knew who it was._

"_Morzan!" He called into the empty room._

"_Why do you not address me as father?_

"_I resent you in your entirety. You are not my father." _

"_Alas, as much as you try to defy it, I am your father. And you have become just like me."_

"_No! I killed Gallbatorix! You kissed his feet!" _

"_You will regret ever saying that, my disgraceful son." Morzan pulled out Zar'roc ad struck his son down._

**A/N I'm not really sure if this was a filler or not because this was my take on how he got his scar and plus these dreams are **_**kind of **_**important. It has to do with how he was poisoned and just how all of this is stirring up suppressed memories. Hope you enjoyed it! **


	11. Chapter 11

Fallen Chapter 11

Fallen Chapter 11

**A/N I have all these awesome reviews and stuff and it makes me think "Update, update, update, update you must update so people can read it!" I've been on my computer like all day writing. Hope you enjoy the next chapter! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Eragon**

Murtagh lurched up. He abruptly regretted it. A pain shot to his stomach. He sucked in a breath and clutched his stomach. He felt the bump of a new scar and looked down. There it was: a medium length, white scar that was horizontally parallel to Murtagh's waist. He heaved a sigh and his hand semiconsciously traced the beginning of his older scar on his right shoulder. His dream surfaced memories he'd rather forget.

His hair was plastered to his face with sweat and he breathed heavy. Morzan had killed him in his dream…

He looked around. It was dark. He lay back down and breathed deeply. Just as he was falling back asleep, he heard someone come in and say, "I thought I heard screaming."

Eragon ran down to the healers' quarters. "What's wrong?" He shouted as he entered the waiting room. Arya was there and explained the situation. Murtagh had woken up, but immediately started hallucinating. He thought Gallbatorix and Morzan were in his room, trying to kill him. Then, he imagined Tornac walking in and then he saw Gallbatorix and Morzan killing Tornac and then killed Murtagh. He fell unconscious again.

Eragon did not respond. All he could do was wonder what was going on.

_Murtagh, what is going on? _

The healers thought the poison that remained in his system was inducing the hallucinating. Eragon went in and sat next to Murtagh, who was asleep. "Murtagh, what is going on?" That's all Eragon said for the rest of the day. That's all he could say, that's all he could think and when he slept, he dreamed of asking Murtagh what was going on.

He was awoken though, when he heard a loud noise. Murtagh was screaming in his sleep. Sweat drenched his face and his cries of pain reverberated off the walls.

"Murtagh wake up!" Eragon yelled. Nasuada and Arya ran in. Nasuada grabbed one of Murtagh's hand and Eragon the other. He quieted down and went back to sleep, but he would tend to moan or groan during his sleep. Nasuada, Arya and Eragon never left his side. When Nasuada went to play with his hair, Arya took her spot holding Murtagh's hand and Eragon rested his head on Murtagh's bed. They did not sleep, they barely ate and they never left the room, except to relieve them.

It was around four in the morning when something finally happened.

"Eragon…" Murtagh croaked. His eyes were still closed, but he was awake. "I told you I would wake up…"

Eragon cried with happiness. Murtagh was finally on his way to recovering.

Nasuada and Arya hugged Murtagh while Eragon sat there crying like a dumbfounded idiot. Nasuada and Arya asked Murtagh how he felt and he tried to tell them he was fine, but they would have none of it. "You girls are like fussy mothers…" He joked once. They sat for a while longer as Nasuada, Arya and Eragon filled Murtagh in on what he had missed these last few days. He nodded at some things and laughed when he thought they were funny.

Nasuada and Arya left because a messenger came with news from Duweldenvarden. Arya had contacted them and the elves had sent a few people to control the chaos that ensued at Uru'Baen.

"Eragon," Murtagh began, his voice sounding unnatural to his ears. He hadn't heard it in forever. "Is Gallbatorix dead?"

"Yes. Yes, he is. You killed him Murtagh. You saved Alagaesia." Eragon replied. He talked fast and his voice was shaky. It was finally over. Gallbatorix was dead.

"That's good. Are you okay, Eragon?" Murtagh asked. Eragon was a bit surprised. Here Murtagh was, lying on a healer's bed, whom almost died a few days ago and just began recovering, asking Eragon how he was.

"Why are you asking me that?" Eragon inquired. "You shouldn't worry about me."  
"But Gallbatorix hurt you and Arya, didn't he?" Murtagh replied. He had sworn he saw Gallbatorix torturing Eragon and Arya. "I saw him use his magic on you…"

Then it hit Eragon, like wave rolling upon the shore. Gallbatorix had done that to them. Had had forgotten all about it. But he did not think it had affected him badly if he had managed to fly Murtagh home and stayed by his side like this and done many other things. "I don't think he hurt me too badly." Eragon said, almost saying that out loud to himself.

"There's always an after shock." Murtagh cautioned his younger brother. He knew well enough what happened when Gallbatorix used his magic to 'punish' someone. Eragon and Arya would be affected, and it could be little or small.

Abruptly, Eragon fell to the floor gasping for air, and somewhere, Arya fell down, her breath coming in short, raspy shots.

The healers had placed Arya and Eragon in beds right next to Murtagh. He told them that after shocks happened, irregularly. And they were rare. The healers said Arya and Eragon would be fine.

"So, this is what it feels like to be Murtagh." Eragon coughed, trying to laugh. It made Murtagh laugh even harder.

"You have just grazed the surface." Murtagh said between laughs. Arya and Eragon didn't know why he was laughing, but it was apparently funny to him. They talked a bit more, and Nasuada visited them.

"The elves are doing very well in keeping order in Uru'Baen. This is a very smooth transition. It's going better than I imagined." She reported.

Eragon and Arya tried to tell the healers there were fine, but they insisted on the two staying at least one night. Murtagh fell a sleep first and the Arya. Eragon stayed up a little longer, talking to Saphira.

_Are you okay?_

_Yes, little one. And you?_

_Fine, but the healers won't let us leave until tomorrow. These beds are not that comfortable. _

Saphira snorted a laugh. _Well, at least you can try to rest on them. And maybe they will bring you something to sleep on soon? _

_Hopefully. And how is Thorn?_

_He is doing well. He's a very nice dragon to talk to. And he is recovering nicely, which is a good sign._

_Has Murtagh talked to him?_

_Not that I know of. But I doubt Thorn would tell me. How is Murtagh?_

_Better than he was a while before. He is doing better. I'm so glad he did not die. _

_We all are. Well, I am tired. Surely, you are._

_Yes._

_Sleep well, little one._

_Sleep well, Saphira. _

And with that, Eragon slipped into the clutches of night.

**A/N Filler, filler, filler but next chapter should be not so filler-y. I'm putting it up like right away so I don't leave you all with the fillers before the day ends. So, away to write! **


	12. Chapter 12

Fallen Chapter 12

Fallen Chapter 12

**A/N Okay not a filler! Yay! This is pretty crucial to the plot so read on!  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Eragon**

_He was alone. Again. How often had he found himself alone? How rarely had he found himself with someone? He doubted anyone really wanted to see him. He doubted anyone really cared. But it was all fuzzy. Only the maid who took care of him did he see regularly. _

_The only one he ever really wanted to see was his mother, and that's because he just felt a connection to her. He did not necessarily like her, but he did not hate her. He just needed her. _

_But when that man came to visit, it was a different story. He loved it when the man left and hated it when he arrived. He was glad the visits were far and few. _

_As if his thoughts were a curse, the man burst through the doors. The maid ran up. "Sh! He could be asleep!" _

_Morzan slapped the maid and said, "I don't care. I wanted to see my son." She wiped her check and was about to tell Morzan off but thought better of it. At first, the maid did not want a child to take care of but she soon came to love the doomed boy. His face, although young, held a look of despair. But he knew how to make despair look sweet and cute. She would sometimes refer to the nickname she gave him._

_Sweet pain. _

_It was a bit…serious for such a small boy, she knew. But it was so fitting. _

_"Just be careful." She said. She did not want the young boy to cry. His cries were soft and quiet, but that made them all the more sad. He did not cry often, and when he did, it was gentle and short. _

_"I know. I wouldn't do that, would I?" Morzan lied through his teeth. The maid knew he would do something. She hung quietly behind him and was wary of his every move._

_"Murtagh." Morzan said in a flat tone. Murtagh, only one, looked up from the blanket he was holding. It was a dark blue and something about the color just captivated his baby mind. He liked to hold it and look at it all the time. The maid loved it when he would crawl around with the blanket practically attached to his hand. She would have to wash it when he was asleep, else he would cry softly for it. _

_Morzan picked up his son. The maid gasped. "Support his head!" She said. "Keep a hand under his rump so he doesn't fall!" _

_"Why?" Morzan asked, but he did what the maid said anyways. He did not want a woman fussing over him and his son. He did not feel any fatherly emotions to his son, but he did feel possessive. He wanted people to stay away from what was his. What right did they have to hold his stuff? _

_He looked at Murtagh, and did not feel anything. He did not think "How cute!" or anything like that. He just looked at his son and thought "One day you will serve me." Murtagh stared back at him with a blank stare. After a few minutes, Morzan careless plopped Murtagh down on the floor. The maid gasped silently, but did not rush over. Murtagh seemed fine. _

_Morzan left without a word. The maid stooped down next to Murtagh and handed him the blanket. "What a terrible fate." She whispered at him. He looked at her as a tear crept down his check. Morzan always made him cry. He gripped his blanket and the maid wiped away the tear. Murtagh lay down with his blanket and wondered if it would ever end._

_Among the fallen…_

_Gallbatorix stepped over the lifeless bodies of Arya and Eragon. The healers' chambers were in ruins. Murtagh sat up._

_"What do you want?" Murtagh demanded. _

_"I want you dead." Gallbatorix said._

_"But I've already killed you." Murtagh sneered._

_"Someone such as yourself cannot kill _me_!" Gallbatorix laughed. "You will pay for your treason, Murtagh. You've already cost them their lives." Gallbatorix motioned at Arya and Eragon. Hate welled up in Murtagh. "Are you going to cry now?" Gallbatorix teased. "You always cried in an odd way." Murtagh did not say anything. A response was what the king wanted. "Boring, as always." _

_Tornac showed in the doorway. He smiled at Murtagh. "Remember the good times." He whispered. Lightning struck Tornac and he fell limply to the ground. Fury ripped at Murtagh as he let out a shout of pain and anger. Then, it all went black and Gallbatorix drove his sword through Murtagh's chest. _

Murtagh woke up screaming. He sat up quickly and looked around. He breathed heavy and his hair was stuck to his face, no doubt the sweat keeping it in place. He looked over at Arya and Eragon, and they had gotten out of bed to see what the commotion was.

"Murtagh, are you okay?" Arya asked, raising an eyebrow. No lies, is what it meant. He breathed and looked around some more. He was still in the healers' room and it must have been dawn. Hopefully he could leave this room soon. It was getting quite boring.

"I…I don't know. I guess…I guess I am…" He responded, still shaken from his nightmare. He wondered if they would ever stop haunting his nights. He was going to lose a lot of sleep over this.

Eragon and Arya looked at each other skeptically, but dropped the subject. "I want to see Thorn." Murtagh said out of the blue. "How is my dragon? I want to see him."

"But we don't know if you can leave or not…" Eragon wanted Murtagh to see Thorn, but he did not know if the healers would approve.

Murtagh shook his head and jumped out of the bed. He put on a white shirt by his bed and made sure his pants were fine. When he was ready, he walked out of the room, feeling strong. Eragon and Arya chased after him.

"You can't leave!" One healer called.

"Watch me." Murtagh scoffed. "I'm just going to visit my dragon." He kept on walking as Eragon led the way. Murtagh seemed to be doing fine and seemed as if he hadn't almost died a couple of days ago. He was happy and healthy and it rubbed off on everyone else. When they reached the Dragon hold, Murtagh was anxious to see Thorn. Eragon opened the doors and Murtagh controlled his excitement and stayed calm. He looked and Thorn and Saphira were just waking up. It occurred to the humans that Saphira and Thorn slept rather close, but none of them made note of it. When Thorn saw Murtagh walk in, he roared in delight. He bounded over as gently as he could and stopped right before his master.

_-I have never see you so excited and free willing. _Murtagh laughed as he hugged his dragon around the snout.

_I have missed you! _Thorn exclaimed, beaming.

-_I've missed you too! Are you okay?_

_Never better. And you?_

_-Same. Doesn't it feel so good? The feeling of freedom? We've finally got it!_

_And what a liberating feeling it is! _

_-I can barely contain my happiness. _With that, a huge smile broke upon Murtagh's face. He smiled from ear to ear and it seemed like the sun was shining down on him. Murtagh jumped on Thorn's back and cried a victory call.

"Woo!" He yelled. His energy seemed to meet no end. Thorn launched into the air and they flied around the huge dragon hold. It was the first time in Murtagh and Thorn's life that they were truly free, and they promised each other they would never waste a moment of it.

"He's so happy." Arya stated.

"I don't think I've ever seen someone so care free and energized." Eragon said, in awe of his brother's sudden strength.

_He's finally free._ Saphira sauntered over and sat down next to the other two humans, always looking at the now free men in the sky.

"He is finally free." Eragon repeated. "I didn't know he wanted it this badly."

Thorn and Murtagh landed and they seemed to radiate extreme happiness. "Eragon, can we go outside?" Murtagh asked.

"Let me ask Nasuada." Eragon said. He went to Nasuada's quarters while Saphira, Thorn, Arya and Murtagh waited pleasantly in the Dragon hold.

"Eragon, is something wrong?" Nasuada asked. Murtagh was so happy that it rubbed off on Eragon and he was grinning widely.

"Murtagh was wondering if he and Thorn could go outside." He told Nasuada.

"He's in the dragon hold?" She asked, dumbfounded.

"Yes, and he's full of energy. I have never seen someone so full of joy."

"That's very good. But of them going outside, wouldn't Thorn be spotted?" Nasuada said with a skeptical tone.

"Could they not somehow fly behind the Beor Mountains?" Eragon thought aloud. Nasuada thought a moment and replied.

"We must first reveal to the public who Murtagh is and what he has done."

**A/N Oh ah. How will they tell the world about Murtagh? Hmm, well it seems that is up to the king of Surda… **


	13. Chapter 13

Fallen chapter 13

Fallen chapter 13

**A/N I decided when "Fallen" was set after. It's after Eldest. I guess it's my idea of a short version of Brisingr(third Inheritance book). So, yeah that's it. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Eragon. **

The mood seemed to be dampened when Nasuada and Eragon told the others what the verdict had come to.

"But they'll never trust me!" Murtagh responded. "The dwarves least of all." That's what Nasuada was most afraid of. How could the dwarves accept him when he had killed Hrothgar, the dwarf king? She voiced her concerns and everyone agreed. But Arya had replied that Murtagh didn't have to go to the mines, unless of course, the Varden was going back to Tronjheim.

"Do we need to go back?" Nasuada said absentmindedly. "The king is dead; The Varden can be wherever they want."

"But the dwarves will want my head, along with many others. It doesn't matter where we are." Murtagh reminded them.

"The only solution, it seems," Nasuada began, "is to convince the world Murtagh is to be trusted." Every head turned to look at Eragon and Saphira.

Eragon took a deep breath. He was just about to tell King Orrin about Murtagh and Thorn. Orrin had been informed that Gallbatorix was killed, but Nasuada had told him nothing more. His healers were paid to not tell him about their newest patient. A guard escorted Eragon to the king's throne room and when the doors opened, Eragon had half a mind to turn and run back.

"Eragon!" Orrin boomed. "Good to see you!" Orrin just might have been the most informal king there ever was. But he was something different, Eragon gave him that much. "What news do you have for me?"

"I am here to tell you how Gallbatorix died." He said bluntly. He wanted to get this over with as soon as possible.

"Oh? Do tell."

"He was killed by his right hand man, the red rider."

"What?" Orrin boomed, a laugh following that. "You're joking!"

"No, I am not. Arya was with me, she will agree."

"Well, I guess it's true then. Arya doesn't lie."

Eragon arched an eyebrow. "And I do?"  
"Sorry, Argetlam. I trust you. I believe the red rider killed Gallbatorix."

"And almost lost his life in the process."

"Hm? How so?"

"Gallbatorix stabbed him through his abdomen. Your healers are very good, though. He's perfectly fine now."

"And what were my healers doing healing the red rider?" Orrin asked.

"The red rider is my brother. He is Murtagh."

"I have not met him before. I haven't even heard of Murtagh before. I did not know you had a brother." Orrin replied. He was the king of Surda, but was just learning all this now?

"I did not know I had a brother either, but I learned it about a month ago." Eragon replied. "You can meet Murtagh later. He was unwillingly forced to serve the king. Gallbatorix made him his slave. He brutally tortured and abused him, and a few days ago, Murtagh killed Gallbatorix. In the process, Gallbatorix fatally wounded him, but your healers saved him." Orrin nodded occasionally, mulling it over in his mind whether Murtagh was trustworthy or not. He listened as Eragon explained everything about Murtagh since the moment Eragon met him. Orrin was intrigued by the story. Things like this always caught his interest.

"Before I decide," Orrin finally stated, "I would much like to meet this Murtagh."

Eragon's breath caught in his chest.

Would Orrin really trust Murtagh? Surely, if Eragon, Nasuada, Saphira and Arya did. But it was difficult to predict. Orrin was known for odd decisions.

When Eragon delivered the message, relief was the last thing you would expect the group to feel. The one most worried was not even Murtagh, though. He was probably the most laid back about it. Maybe he thought it was his charm that would win Orrin over, or his happy disposition. He just thought that if Orrin were anything like the rumors he had heard, it would be rather easy to gain his trust.

The one that was most worried was Nasuada. She was a close friend of Murtagh's, even though she knew him for a short time. She loved how he could brighten up any room, and she noted that he had a special way with words. She thought Murtagh was definitely a people person.

But if Orrin did not trust Murtagh, they only had two options.

The first one was to get the kingdom of Surda to trust Murtagh, and then maybe Orrin would side with his people.

The second one would be that Orrin would send Murtagh away and Nasuada would most likely never see him again. Thinking of that left an empty feeling in her chest.

"When do I meet him?" Murtagh asked. He was actually looking forward to meeting the King of Surda. He wanted to see if the only type of king was an evil tyrant.

"Tomorrow. He's having us, minus the dragons, for lunch." Eragon informed them. Saphira growled a bit. "Sorry, you guys. But you're too big to fit in the throne room and we wouldn't have any food for you." Saphira snorted and went back to her silent conversation with Thorn on the types of flying moves they enjoyed most. Over the distance of a few days, they had become quite close friends.

Murtagh nodded. His lack of response made Eragon wonder if Murtagh was happy or disappointed about his answer. But he left the subject untouched. He'd rather not know.

After casual chatting, Arya and Nasuada went to see if there was any news from Uru'Baen. Murtagh decided he would take a walk in a secret garden only Nasuada knew about, until she told him. Murtagh told Eragon he was just going to have a look around. Eragon shrugged his shoulders and went to write a letter to Roran, asking he and Katrina to come to Surda. He hadn't seen Roran in a while and wanted to see how the marriage was going.

Murtagh stumbled into the secret garden and sat on a stone bench. He had been fine with meeting the King until Eragon said it was over lunch. He was really just worried about being rude. Murtagh hadn't been able to stomach any food since he woke up, and he was sure someone had noticed. It had been a few days since he woke up, and the whole time he hadn't asked for anything to eat.

He wasn't sure why he couldn't eat, but it was probably because of the poison that coursed through his veins. Or maybe his nightmares made him nauseous. He wasn't really sure, but he knew he did not want to eat anything.

And then he began to worry that king really wouldn't like him. What would he do then? He didn't want to leave his friends behind. He only prayed to whatever gods were listening that the next day passed without interference.

He sat on the stone bench a little while longer, and then realized the colors of the flowers were meshing together before his eyes. He began to see black spots swim before his eyes. He suddenly felt light headed, and had to hold his head for a minute. And then he fell into unconsciousness.

**A/N I knew the poison had to affect him in some way and eating IS important so…Well, hope you liked it. **


	14. Chapter 14

Fallen Chapter 14

Fallen Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I don't own Eragon. **

Murtagh woke up about an hour after and the healers made him eat a small portion of bread. He would eat no more because just the though of eating made him want to retch. He was worried because he didn't know why.

_Murtagh!_ Thorn practically shouted.

_-I am sorry to have worried you, Thorn. _

_Why haven't you eaten anything?_

_-It makes me sick._

_Why?_

_-I don't know! _He snapped. _And that is a disconcerting thought. _

_Indeed it is. Will you tell Eragon? And what about the lunch with King Orrin tomorrow?_

_-I'm not sure on any of those fronts. But I still wish to meet with the king. _

_Well, all I can say is get better. _

_-Thank you Thorn. I am sorry, again._

_There is no reason to be sorry, rider. _And then Thorn left to talk to Saphira about the matter of Dragon myths. They enjoyed shooting down the myths and scoffing at the ignorance of humans. Murtagh laughed to himself, thinking that Thorn had developed a crush on Saphira. Murtagh left the healers' quarters, much to their protest to go to the room Eragon had set up for him. It was adjacent to Eragon's room, so Murtagh would undoubtedly run into him. He was glad none of his friends were there when he woke up, because he did not feel like explaining. It made him feel vulnerable. He did not like to lie out his weaknesses on the table for everyone to see, like a display that everyone scrutinized. He tried to be as quiet as he could, but Eragon's heightened elf senses caught him. "Murtagh!" He shouted out. "How are you feeling? The healers let you go?"

Murtagh chuckled and replied, "Not exactly. I just left. That room is so dull. And I'm feeling fine, brother."

"Did you eat anything?" Eragon questioned, still concerned and unconvinced that Murtagh was fine. Murtagh sighed and chuckled again.

"Brother, you worry too much. I am fine. I ate some bread." He replied, but the worried look on Eragon's face did not go away. "Relax! You're going to hurt yourself one day. You always worry." He patted Eragon's shoulder reassuringly.

Eragon laughed and agreed. "I guess you're right. Ready to meet King Orrin?"

"Ready as I'll ever be." Murtagh responded. "If you don't mind, I would much like to go to my room." Eragon nodded and let Murtagh go. Murtagh walked down the hallway and laughed a bit at his brother's apprehension. But something at the back of his mind gnawed at him. Was his brother's apprehension unjustified?

_The maid jumped up and down with giddy delight. He had finally said his first word, and oh! How cute it was! His little baby voice was the sweetest thing, like music to her ears. And the first word he had said?_

_"Dragon?" He had said. He had said it like it was a question. And she thought it was the cutest thing ever. Not to mention, his first word was _dragon. _How exciting! She had said to herself. But something in the back of her mind thought that word was a curse of some sort. Did it mean he would be a slave to the king, like his father? But she was too caught up in the moment. She picked Murtagh up and smiled broadly as he giggled._

_"Murtagh!" She cried happily. "You said your first word!" She did not expect to become to close with the son of the forsworn, but just because Murtagh was Morzan's son did not make him evil. He might just have been the sweetest baby she had ever seen. She was sure he would be nothing like Morzan. "That was so cute!" She hugged the baby as if he was her own, and knew that she was the only one that really loved him. She put the happy baby down on the floor, and abruptly, the happy moment ended. _

_Morzan kicked the door in and staggered around drunk. "Must you come around while drunk?" The maid asked. _

_"I can come around whenever I want. Murtagh is not your son." Morzan said. He didn't seem to be too drunk but he talked a bit slow. _

_"He's more my son than he is yours." She replied. This maid had a lot of guts, and would probably do anything to protect the sweet baby she loved so dearly. In a way, Murtagh was her son, and not Morzan's. _

_Morzan knocked the rather young woman to the floor and yelled at her. "Shut up. He's not yours in any way. Now, have you seen Selena lately?" The maid wondered if she should reply and decided too. She had to live in order to secure Murtagh's safety._

_"No." She said flatly. "I haven't seen Selena in quite some time." _It's a wonder you two even remember you have a son, _she though to her self. _

_Murtagh grabbed his blanket and began to crawl away, but Morzan noticed and picked the small child up by his shirt. "And where do you think you're going?" Morzan whispered. His breath reeked of vodka and it made Murtagh crinkle his nose in disgust. "You don't want to say hello to daddy?" Murtagh squirmed, but he could not escape Morzan. The maid was about to tell Morzan to hold Murtagh correctly, but the door opened again. _

_Selena walked in. Her long blonde hair flowed behind her and her blue eyes shone brightly. She walked in and stood next to Morzan. "I didn't say you could leave the castle." Morzan said. _

_"I can visit Murtagh whenever I want." She replied. "You said I could." Morzan huffed and returned his attention to the squirming boy in his hand. _

You barely come around! _The maid yelled at Selena silently. She held such a hate for Morzan and Selena. To leave Murtagh like this and not feel guilty? But she thought sickly, _Well, then I can have Murtagh to myself. _Selena snatched Murtagh from Morzan, a little too brutally and explained to Morzan how to properly hold a baby. Even though Selena did not visit Murtagh often, she liked her little son. Morzan just did not let her leave the castle often. Undoubtedly, she did not love Murtagh as much as the maid did, but that was because she rarely saw him. _

_"Dragon!" The little boy blurted out. Pride welled up in the maid. Selena giggled and smiled at her son and Morzan smiled a twisted smile. Selena held him for a few minutes longer, and then Morzan snatched the baby away and sloppily let him back to the ground. He almost tripped over Murtagh, kicking his son. Selena and the maid gasped as Murtagh began his quiet, gentle crying. _

_"What a wimp." Morzan laughed. "I just kicked him on accident." The maid picked up Murtagh as she tried to comfort him while Selena shoved Morzan out the door and hugged her baby before she left, with a little bit of forced love. _

_That night, Murtagh had nightmares of Morzan invading his mind. _

_He saw the leader of the Varden sitting alone on the stone bench in the garden. He tried to call out to her, but his voice had disappeared. He watched her back and tried to move, but he was cemented to the ground. He watched as her shoulders heaved up and down. Was she crying? As if to answer his question, she turned around and he saw tears streaming down her cheeks. A scream erupted from her mouth as she dropped dead and Murtagh heard the evil cackle of his father. _

_"Watch her fall." The demented voice came. _

_Murtagh just looked on in horror as the flowers died and the stone benches crumbled. The room lost color and soon it was just a lifeless chasm._

**A/N Yeah so this is kind of filler-y. Sorry about that, but it should be…actually…okay well I'll try not to make fillers! But we're getting to more important parts! **


	15. Chapter 15

Fallen Chapter 15

Fallen Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I don't own Eragon.**

He sat on the edge of his bed. Would the nightmares ever go away? They occurred every time he fell asleep, and they gave him no mercy. He never felt good or well rested when he woke up. But he kept his worries to himself. The last thing he wanted was everyone fussing over him. He never liked to depend on others. The only one he was obliged to depend was Thorn, for obvious reasons. Dawn had just broken over the trees. He looked out the window in his new room and just looked for a moment. His new room was somewhat small, but he liked it. He didn't need much space. The bed was nice sized with nice bedding. He had a bedside table and the room was well lit. He also had a bureau and a desk with ink, quill pens and paper. He noticed he also had a nice sized collection of books. Eragon understood shockingly well what Murtagh wanted in a room.

He dressed himself in clothes he found in the bureau and walked out of his room. He found Eragon eating breakfast and sat down with his brother. "Would you like some?" Eragon inquired, but Murtagh just shook his head no. Eragon eyed Murtagh suspiciously but dropped the subject. "How did you sleep?" He asked.

"Fine." Murtagh lied through his teeth, but Eragon believed him.

"Ready to meet king Orrin?"

"Yeah, I guess." He said. "I'm a little nervous, though." He admitted.

"Don't worry." Eragon tried to make his brother feel more at ease. "Orrin is quite a casual person." Murtagh shrugged. There was an awkward silence for a while, and then Arya burst into the room.

"Good morning!" She cried cheerily. She seemed to be a little happier than usually and was showing it more than she usually does. "How are we all doing?"

"Someone's happy." Murtagh joked.

"Very happy, indeed." Eragon laughed along with Murtagh.

"I don't know why, but I woke up and felt extremely optimistic. I decided to embrace the feeling!" She almost shouted with glee. "It's good to be happy." She sat down with her friends and Eragon got her some breakfast. He asked Murtagh again if he wanted breakfast, but Murtagh still refused. Arya and Eragon exchanged worried glances, but tried to ignore the nagging feeling that something was wrong.

After breakfast was cleaned up, they head to Nasuada's quarters. Murtagh told his friends a story of when he played a rather hilarious prank on Gallbatorix.

"You didn't get in trouble?" Nasuada questioned?

"No, surprisingly." Murtagh replied, still laughing at the joke he played on Gallbatorix over two months ago. "It's a good thing, too."

After the story, unease settled in the air and everyone's heart beat a little faster than normal. Adrenaline pumped through their bodies and it was awkward in the room. Arya was trying to occupy herself by playing with Nasuada's hair and Nasuada chatted nervously with her. Eragon sat rigid and still. He was too worried to move. Murtagh, at a loss for anything to do, wrung his hands. He twiddled his thumbs and played with the frayed edges along his sleeve.

The time slowly passed. It seemed like a lifetime. When it was finally time for them to go to lunch, everyone was afraid that it would not go smoothly. Murtagh excused himself for a moment. He went into the bathroom and just gagged noiselessly because there was nothing he could throw up.

So far, everything was going well. King Orrin took an immediately liking to Murtagh. As nervous as he was, he played it cool and surely enough; Orrin enjoyed Murtagh's presence. The four friends became less nervous as Orrin grew used to Murtagh's charm.

But the food had not been served yet.

"So, Murtagh!" Orrin boomed. "Enjoying your stay at my castle?"

Murtagh nodded his head. "Oh yes, very much." That was the second time he had lied that day. "It's a very nice castle."

"I found it very funny that I, the King of Surda, had such an honorable guest in my palace and was unaware of it!" Orrin laughed obnoxiously loud and everyone laughed along, even though it was mock laughter. "I haven't thanked you yet, Murtagh!" Murtagh looked up from the blood red tablecloth.

"Hm?" He replied.

"I haven't thanked you for riding us of Gallbatorix yet!" Orrin repeated. Murtagh's first impression of Orrin was that he was loud, laughed a lot and was hyper active that was not the typical king. Murtagh had hit the nail on the head.

"Oh no thanks needed, King. It was no trouble." Murtagh replied, being polite as possible. He had not expected anyone to thank him, nor had he wanted a huge ceremony in his honor.

"But surely it was! You pulled through. You're a strong one, m'boy." Orrin laughed, for the umpteenth time, even though nothing was really all that funny. "Well, I'm sure you all are hungry! I'll have my nice servant boy get the food, then!" He sent of the boy to get the food and when he returned, the king gave the boy a few coins. Murtagh thought that was good of Orrin. He loved how Orrin did not treat his servants like dirt; he paid them!

Nasuada, Arya and Eragon looked anxiously at each other, and it did not escape Murtagh. He knew they worried about him, but he wished they wouldn't. Lately, that's all people had been doing and it was getting on his nerves. His was fine! And he would be able to eat a little, right?

Plates with good proportioned meals were served. There was chicken, a mix of vegetables and wine. King Orrin proposed a toast.

"I'm sure we're all glad that Gallbatorix is dead and that we are in the presence of his killer." Murtagh flinched at that. He didn't want to be known as a _killer. _That sounded evil and cold blooded. "Long life and everlasting health!" Orrin rose his glass and the rest followed suit. They took a swig of their drink and began to eat. Orrin, as obnoxious as he was, ate with dignity. It must have been all those formal dinners he attended. Arya and Nasuada ate in a very lady like fashion. As strong as they were, they had a feminine side they indulged rather often. Eragon ate slowly. He always ate slowly. It annoyed some people, how he would take tiny bits of food and take five minutes to chew it, but he thought that was proper. Murtagh picked at the vegetables and occasionally ate two or three every few minutes. When everyone began eating he picked up a vegetable and chewed it slowly. When he swallowed, he immediately felt queasy, but it was not bad and he hid the feeling.

At one point Orrin asked, "Murtagh, are you a vegetarian?" Laughing as he asked the question. Murtagh replied with a simple no, that he just wasn't in the mood for chicken, though he might eat some later. In reality, the smell and sight of the chicken made him want to retch. At one point during the meal, Thorn contacted Murtagh

_How are you doing? _He asked.

_-Fine._

_Sure. What's the truth?_

_-Thorn, I'm _fine.

_Have you eaten anything?_

_-Yes._

_Like what?_

_-Food._

For a moment, Thorn didn't reply. Murtagh wondered what was going on, but Thorn soon returned.

_Eragon just said you have been eating, but it was only a little bit of vegetables once in awhile. _

_-Why did you go ask Eragon? _

_Because I knew you were lying._

_-I wasn't lying! I ate food!  
But you're not fine._

_-Maybe a little bit of vegetables is normal for me. _

_And Urgals can fly._

_-They might. _Thorn snorted.

_Why don't you just tell the king you're not feeling well?_

_-One, I am _fine. _Two, I don't want my weaknesses displayed before the king! _

_Fine, but the King will ask you why you are not eating and you better have a good lie. _Thorn left Murtagh to himself to do whatever Thorn did when he was upset with Murtagh. Nowadays, that meant telling Saphira what was going on. He trusted her a lot.

But Murtagh did not worry about that. He turned to Eragon, who was sitting next to him, and elbowed him. "Hey!" He whispered. He was sure Orrin wouldn't notice because he was talking to Nasuada and Arya about what was happening in Uru'Baen. "Why did you tell Thorn I wasn't eating much?" He demanded.

"Because he asked." Eragon said through a mouthful of chicken, and Murtagh almost threw up all the vegetables he had eaten. "Why?" Eragon shrugged his shoulders as he looked at Murtagh.

"Well, you didn't have to tell the truth." Murtagh returned.

"Well, one, I don't like to lie." Eragon stated and Murtagh scoffed. "Two, I think he has a right to know. If your health is failing, his will too."

Murtagh stared him in the eye. "One, my health is not _failing. _And two, now he's on my case!" Murtagh hated it when people nagged him.

"Good. Then maybe you'll eat some."

"It's not my fault!" Murtagh said in a harsh whisper. "Just thinking about food makes me sick and I have no bloody idea in hell why!" He looked at Eragon, awaiting the answer. Eragon sat for a few minutes, and he became extremely worried. Why couldn't Murtagh eat? Why did the simple thought of food make him feel sick? Around every corner, there was something threatening Murtagh's life. Gallbatorix may have died, but they were not free of him yet. He made sure Murtagh would die if he died. It made Eragon want to hit something. It made Eragon really mad, and he wanted to just scream. Would his brother _never _be free?

"I'm sorry." Eragon whispered.

"Whatever." Murtagh grumbled, and he went back to pushing the vegetables around, completely ignoring the chicken. Orrin and Murtagh began to talk and joke and laugh and for a moment, it looked like Murtagh really was enjoying himself. Arya and Nasuada joined in the fun, but Eragon did not. He was gaining a big head ache over all of this. He thought and thought, but no matter how much he thought, he did not know what was wrong with the man sitting next to him. Sometimes, just thinking about it made Eragon crack and go crazy. He would pull at his hair and throw books on the floor and at the wall just to relieve stress. Sometimes he would go out into the fields and use his magic to make rocks explode into little bits and watch them fall down in showers. Murtagh's problems not only affected him and his dragon, but it affected Eragon. He might go insane before it was resolved.

"Eragon?" Murtagh asked, breaking his friend's train of thought. "Eragon!" Murtagh called again. Eragon looked up. "You idiot!" Eragon had no idea what Murtagh was talking about. "You smashed your hand on the table and made your glass tip over!" Eragon looked down, and sure enough, red wine was pouring from his glass and being soaked up by the tablecloth. A servant ran over with a cloth and seeped it up. He assured Eragon everything was okay and Orrin seconded the statement. "Sometimes I really wonder where your head is, Eragon." Murtagh joked and everyone around the table laughed. Eragon chuckled a bit too, but there was no life behind his laugh.

When Nasuada, Orrin and Arya started talking again, Murtagh turned to Eragon. "Are you okay?" Eragon looked up.

"Hm?"

"You zoned out for a couple minutes and then randomly knocked your drink over without knowing it." Murtagh said, his tone harsh. "Are you okay? Do you feel sick?" He felt good asking Eragon if he was sick. First of all, he was trying to protect his little brother and two, he wanted to shift the worry off him to someone else.

"Wha? No, no, I'm fine." For a minute Murtagh didn't respond and Saphira's voice erupted in his head.

_Eragon, what's wrong?  
Murtagh asked you to talk to me, didn't he?_

_He may have. But that's beside the point. Are you okay?_

_Yes, yes, I'm fine._

_Oh really? _

_Yeah…No. Saphira, I'm worried and I think I'm going insane._

_What are you worried about?_

_More like 'who' am I worried about._

_Murtagh?_

_Yes._

_Why? You shouldn't always worry about him. It's getting on his nerves. _

_How do you know that?  
He told me. He wishes you guys would just stop fussing over him._

_But, Saphira! He hasn't eaten in five days! This is the first time he's eaten and it's only a few vegetables!  
At least he's eating without vomiting it back up. _Eragon nodded in agreement.

_But, Saphira, I keep thinking he's going to die! I practically rip my hair out worrying about it. I throw books around and I destroy rocks to relieve stress. _

_At least you don't hurt people. Eragon, just stop worrying about it. Murtagh is stronger than he looks, and he has a strong will to live. _

_Alright…But I can still be a little concerned. _

_Good, good. Enjoy the rest of the lunch. _

_I will try._

Eragon went back to eating and soon the desert was brought out. Eragon was happy to see that Murtagh ate some of it, even though it was less than a third of it. It was still some, just like Saphira had said.

"Eragon, I did not ask Saphira what you said, but whatever is bothering you, just let it go. Everything's going to be fine." Murtagh shook his brother's shoulders reassuringly. Eragon nodded and ate the cake in front of him. When lunch was over, he and Murtagh went up to the dragon hold to fly their dragons and Nasuada and Arya went to take a walk in the town. For once, everything seemed to be fine.

**A/N Long chappie! It's probably more information than needed but I felt like writing a long one. I hope it was okay… So now we must see what Orrin thinks of Murtagh! What will the outcome be…? **


	16. Chapter 16

Fallen Chapter 16

Fallen Chapter 16

**A/N Fallen getting to be quite long isn't it? I didn't think it would go on this long but I really enjoy writing it! **

**I'm getting kind of mad at the page break thing. Like the line you insert to show that there's a time skip or events are changing. I went to go edit a chapter and I put it in but it didn't show up so I was pretty mad. I'm trying to just insert it on word instead so let's see how it works out. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Eragon.**

Orrin walked briskly to the healers. He very much enjoyed Murtagh's company and told the friends that he openly accepted Murtagh and trusted him. He would convince his kingdom to do the same. Now Eragon just had to convince the rest of Alagaesia.

As eccentric as Orrin was, he still had his priorities and worries. And one of those was the lack of food Murtagh ate at lunch. Maybe that was normal for Murtagh, and maybe it wasn't. Murtagh completely ignored the chicken, and he said himself he wasn't vegetarian. He wanted to know more about Murtagh's current health status.

The healers explained how Murtagh was wounded, the poison, the hallucinations, and the scar on his stomach and how he passed out because he hadn't eaten in four days. Orrin listened intently. "So, is he going to be okay?" He asked when the healers finished.

"Probably, if he starts eating normally again. But right now, we can only wait and watch." One replied.

Orrin knew he had to convince Surda, as quickly as possible, that Murtagh was trustworthy. He owed Murtagh something. Alagaesia owed Murtagh something.

--

In the shadows, the evil thing awoke. You couldn't even call it human anymore, what with all the evil spirits controlling him. His king had died, and it was his job to take out his killer and continue his twisted dreams. He was to avenge Gallbatorix and he would surely do a better job at controlling the people than that shade Durza did. And thus, another shade was born.

--

_Tornac and the maid talked casually as he played with Murtagh. Tornac may have been the only person who knew Murtagh's whereabouts beside his parents, the maid and Gallbatorix. But the maid had told him. She and Tornac were close friends and she knew how nice and gentle he could be. She thought that Murtagh needed someone like that. She needed to know that when and if Murtagh was taken away from her, there would be someone who could silently watch over him from the shadows. _

_The two year old giggled happily. He had learned more and more words after he had said dragon. He could say Blanket, ma, dad, sleep, Tornac and the maid's name, Myrial. To the maid's pleasure, he learned to say Myrial before ma or dad. It was, in fact, the second word he learned to say, as hard as it was for a two year old who just began to talk. What made the maid even happier was that Murtagh would sometimes refer to her as Ma. _

_"Tornac!" Murtagh cried happily. "Ma!" Tornac and the maid smiled hugely, and watched as Murtagh tried to stand up. Like two parents, the maid got on one side of Murtagh and Tornac on the other. He held Murtagh up by his arms, gently, and helped him move his feet. He walked all the way over to Myrial and Tornac gave Murtagh to her. She did the same thing he had done. When Murtagh was back with Tornac, they tried to see if he could do it himself. He got about halfway and then tripped. He giggled and tried to get right back up. Tornac raced over to help him and then let Murtagh try walking again. Murtagh made it all the way to Myrial. _

_"Murtagh!" The happy maid cried. "You can walk!" Tornac and Myrial held Murtagh happily and hugged him. All these days they spent together made them like a family, like the family that Murtagh _should _have. Tornac and Myrial had even fallen in love. Murtagh had brought the two together and he kept them together. Murtagh was like their actual baby in this happy little family. Sadly, it was only a fantasy, something to protect them from the harsh reality of Murtagh's real parentage. _

_They put Murtagh on the floor and watched him as he walked around. "What a handful he'll be now!" Tornac cheered, full of glee. _

_"Maybe." The maid laughed. "But Murtagh was never one to cause trouble. He's quite a good boy." Tornac and Myrial smiled happily as they watched Murtagh try out his legs. But the happy moment did not last long. _

_Morzan burst through the door. He looked down and saw Murtagh walking over to hide behind Myrial. Tornac had heard him thumping up the steps and had left throw the back window. "So my son can walk, can he?" Morzan boomed. "Let's see it then!" Myrial reluctantly put Murtagh on the floor and let him walk around. After about a minute or two of it, Morzan walked over to his son. "And how well can you get up?" He asked the baby. Myrial flinched as Morzan kicked his son down. Murtagh got up and tried to run to Myrial, but he could barely walk. It hurt too much. "Aw, the baby's a wimp. He can't even get up." Morzan sneered and left the house. _

_When he had gone, Murtagh began to cry. It was soft and gentle, as always. She comforted him and removed his shirt to see if he would bruise at all. A big purple one had formed right on his side. She wished Tornac would come back. _

_--_

_Murtagh woke up in the dragon hold. He looked over and all seemed well, except for the fact that he didn't fall asleep in the dragon hold. He walked over to Thorn and Saphira who were sleeping. Murtagh did not disturb them. Suddenly, the room began to spin and was drained of color. He looked around when the room stopped swirling about and a cloaked figure appeared. He silently walked over to the dragons. He stood right next to Murtagh and smiled. All you could see was his shining white teeth. He put his hands on the dragons and black shadows flowed from his hands and into the dragons. They woke up screeching and roaring in pain and Murtagh called to them. He tried to calm them but they would not. When the mysterious man removed his hands, the dragons fell limp. _

_"You'll pay, Murtagh." The man whispered. The voice was snake like and could make any man drop dead. It sounded evil from the minute he began to speak, but it was full of twisted evil and sick pleasure. The figure disappeared into the air and left Murtagh alone in the darkness._

**A/N OMG A NEW SHADE!! How will he come into play here? We shall see…**


	17. Chapter 17

Fallen Chapter 17

Fallen Chapter 17

**A/N Was anyone surprised and/or worried that there's a new shade? Everyone KNOWS he's going to have a big part in this, I hope. **

**So I figured out how to put page breaks in without the actually line thingy on FF. so the two "—" means page break. Okay! Read on! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Inheritance Cycle. **

Orrin believed in Murtagh. It was the least he could do.

So, the problem that now faced them was how to convince the rest of the world that Murtagh was good. Orrin remembered that Murtagh specifically asked for no ceremonies. Orrin consulted with Nasuada and decided that a meeting with the leaders across Alagaesia would be best. Orrin and Nasuada would first meet with them and explain the situation. Then, they would each individually meet with Murtagh. Based on whether they liked him or not, they would either convince his subjects to trust him or let them decide for themselves what they wanted.

Murtagh met the first three main leaders and they had seemed to like him. The fourth one (out of forty or so) was a bit harder to convince.

He was a very strong rebel against the empire and tried to get rid of Gallbatorix for years, so he thought that anyone under his control was as horrible as he was. When he first met Murtagh, he wanted nothing to do with him. Instead, Murtagh did daily things and the ruler followed him everywhere. He seemed prude and anal about many things. Then, while Murtagh was reading a book, an after shock from one of his many punishments affected him. He fell to the ground gasping for air, and at first the leader did not help him. He was the only one around and Murtagh lay helplessly on the ground, trying to breath. Murtagh's face began to turn red, and soon the ruler wondered why Murtagh was having a hard time breathing. Guilt clawed at him and soon he hauled Murtagh to the healers. He heard them discussing the after shocks, and wondering whether it was the poison or not, and the ruler realized that Gallbatorix was merciless, even to his men.

The leader apologized and accepted Murtagh. The others passed slowly without incident.

The day the last few rulers were leaving, something evil approached. Arya saw the dark form coming with her enhanced vision, and relayed the information to Murtagh and Eragon. Murtagh and Eragon hopped onto their dragons and flew into the air.

"Eragon!" Murtagh shouted. "I'll attack head first and you sneak around to try a surprise attack!" Murtagh instructed and Eragon nodded. Murtagh used his dragon vision, and gaped at the horrific sight.

_-Eragon! _Murtagh cried. _A shade!_

_What? I'm coming! _

Murtagh turned his attention back to the rapidly approaching shade. Everyone thought Durza was the only shade Gallbatorix controlled, but they thought wrong.

"Red rider!" The shade called out. "You will pay for your treason!" So the shade wanted vengeance, did he? Murtagh scoffed. _That shade isn't getting me! _"After I kill you, I'll take back Uru'Baen and finish the vision Gallbatorix had!" The shade yelled. "You know what that vision is! He's told you! Isn't it wonderful?"

Murtagh face was blank. "No."

The shade cackled. "Too bad for you." Fire erupted from his fingertips. Murtagh and Thorn dodged and returned with a blast of magic.

"You forget, shade!" Murtagh yelled. "I am also skilled with black magic!"

"Even better!" The shade called.

The battle raged on and Murtagh tried to steer it away from the city. The people around watched with growing fear. A new shade surfaced. How many more were there? Could the red rider defeat him? Was this war ever going to end? When Eragon returned with Saphira, they flew to the battle but could not get close because the magic was so dangerous that they had no way around it. Eragon only watched with growing apprehension.

_You can only kill a shade if you pierce him through the heart. _Brom's words rang loud and clear in Eragon's head.

_Murtagh has to get close enough to pierce him through the heart! _

_I know, little one._

_No! He can't!_

_Believe in him, little one. That's all you can do to help him. _Eragon gulped and watched the battle commence.

The sky was aglow with magic and explosions. Smoke erupted in the sky and for a moment, the battle was hidden from view. The audience grew silent. What awaited them inside the cloud of smoke?

**A/N YES YES ANOTHER CLIFFIE! I am just evil, aren't I? Anxious to see what happens? You'll fine out soon enough. (Whispers: everyone who reads this would kill me right now if I didn't have to update more…)**


	18. Chapter 18

Fallen 18

Fallen 18

**A/N Update! Update! Here we go! Read on! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Eragon.**

When the smoke cleared, what they saw was a bitter sweet ending.

Murtagh had indeed pierced the shade through the heart, but the shade had also stabbed Murtagh through the chest, right in between his ribs.

"NO!" Eragon cried. Tears fell from Nasuada and Arya's eyes as Orrin roared with anger. The shade dissolved into the air, along with his black magic dragon, and Murtagh ripped the sword from his chest. Thorn began falling, but he flapped his wings so the landing would be less painful.

"SAPHIRA!" Eragon shouted. "SEE IF YOU CAN CATCH THEM!" He was yelling louder than he had to, but it seemed that he couldn't lower his voice. Saphira raced to meet the falling figures and she could support some of Thorn, so she helped slow the descent. When they landed, Arya, Nasuada and Orrin rushed over. "Murtagh." Eragon cried. Tears were streaming down his face and he could barely see. "Murtagh!" He cried again.

Blood was pouring from Murtagh's chest quickly. Eragon tried to heal him but he couldn't focus.

_Damn it, Eragon! _He scolded himself. _Pull yourself together! _

Eragon used his magic and healed the wound, but Murtagh had already lost too much blood, and the blade had punctured one of his lungs. His breathing was labored and raspy. Blood trickled out of his mouth.

"E-Eragon…" He coughed, blood spraying from his mouth. "The shade…is d-dead…"

"Yes, yes he is." Eragon cried. Nasuada and Arya leaned down next to Eragon.

"Murtagh, breath."

"Hold on, just hold on."

Nasuada and Arya spoke at the same time. Murtagh placed a shaking hand on Thorn.

"I'm…not-," Murtagh began, but he couldn't finish his sentence. Blood flooded his throat. They all knew what he was going to say.

_I'm not going to make it. _

Eragon shouted, "No! No! You'll live! You have to!" Murtagh was trying to say something, but couldn't interrupt Eragon.

"Eragon!" Silenced Nasuada. "He's trying to speak." They leaned Murtagh up against Thorn, who seemed to be saying his final goodbyes to Saphira.

"You a-all…Th-thank y-you…" He sputtered. A light laugh came from him. "You know…t-tomorrow is my n-ninet-eenth birthday…" He laughed again. Eragon erupted into renewed tears. Murtagh had only lived for 18 years and most of it was not a happy story. "I l-love my b-brother and my f-friends, including…y-you, Orrin…" He stammered. "Eragon, Arya, Nasuada…Thorn, Saphira." Murtagh closed his eyes. "Goodbye." His last word was strong and confident.

_-Thorn, I don't want to die._

_Neither do I._

_-I guess we are, then. _

_Yeah._

Murtagh sighed. He wanted to live. The suffering, the pain, the end of a tyrant's rule had finally come, and Murtagh probably wouldn't see it.

He closed his eyes. He knew if he did, he probably wouldn't hang on much longer, but he was so tired. A vision swam before him.

_"Hey." Tornac greeted gently._

_"Hey." Murtagh laughed nervously. _

_"You killed a shade." Tornac laughed. "But he got you, too."_

_"Yeah. I always go in for the kill, but I have a problem protecting myself." Murtagh replied. _

_"Are you ready?" Tornac held out his hand, but Murtagh hesitated. In the afterlife, he could be with Tornac, his faithful teacher and friend. But he had so many new friends in real life. He didn't want to leave that. Everything had finally looked better. _

_"…No. Tornac, I'm sorry but I don't want to go!" Murtagh cried, hoping he would not die._

_Tornac smiled widely and nodded his head. "Then why aren't you fighting to keep going?" He chuckled. "Are you gonna let that shade take you down?" Murtagh shook his head. "Then open your eyes! I can wait." Tornac nodded again, and faded away._

Murtagh coughed and opened his eyes. Blood dripped down the side of his face.

_Murtagh?_

_-We're not going yet buddy._

Eragon, Nasuada and Orrin had turned around, not wanting to watch Murtagh's final moments, but Arya didn't take her eyes off her friend.

"Arya…" Murtagh sputtered. She sucked in a breath.

"Yes, Murtagh?" She whispered.

"I'm not…going…yet…" He choked on his last word. "Tell Eragon to…stop…crying…" Murtagh tried to laugh.

At the mention of is name, Eragon turned around. He gasped and smiled nervously. He couldn't say anything because he was awestruck.

Murtagh was going to turn nineteen after all.

**A/N I had you going for a while didn't I? WHY WOULD I KILL MURTIE!? THAT ISN'T COOL! Lol. I almost was like "Well, he would have died in an honorable way…." But I couldn't bring myself to do it. **

**I have to put up the Epilogue so there will be ONE MORE chapter. The ending to the epilogue is pretty good (I've already written it) so I suggest you read it. **


	19. Epilogue

Fallen Epilogue

Fallen Epilogue

**A/N Here's the Epilogue. I can't believe this is the last chapter…It went by so fast!(That's mostly my fault but I wanted to update so people wouldn't have to wait forever). I hope you like it.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Eragon.**

Seeing his brother awake was probably one of the most exhilarating things he ever experienced. He couldn't speak. He was too happy. He just hugged the older man and never wanted to let go.

"Eragon, that kind of hurts." Murtagh spoke. Eragon quickly let go, afraid to hurt Murtagh anymore.

"Sorry." He apologized.

"Whatever." Murtagh laughed.

Murtagh was strong indeed. He was stabbed in the right lung by a shade, and here he was a week later, alive and well. No wonder he had saved Alagaesia twice.

But, it wasn't like he came out unscathed. He was going to have a third scar where the blade pierced and sliced his skin. His lung would take awhile to heal, so no extreme stunts for a while, cautioned the healers. He had seen too much of the healers lately, and their nagging was constant and annoying.

"If it keeps me out of here," he replied jokingly.

Nasuada, Arya and Orrin came to visit. They were pleased to see how their friend would live, and that he would make a remarkable recovery. Murtagh talked to Thorn, and they were both pleased that Murtagh decided to live. It was all thanks to Tornac. Murtagh was no longer cursed, no longer trapped. He was a free man.

A new era dawned that day in Alagaesia. A new time spread across the land. It was a happier, more peaceful time and fear was scarce. In every town, people talked of how bravely their savior fought and some places even had statues dedicated to their hero. Murtagh was finally accepted. He no longer had to live in fear. He had finally ridden himself of his father's reputation. They didn't see him as "Morzan's son". They saw him as their hero. Everything Murtagh ever wanted and more was finally his, and rightfully so. But all he really cared about was he had friends and acceptance. It was all he ever wanted, and it kept him moving forward. Alagaesia wasn't the only one that was saved, but Murtagh was also rescued from the dark curse that followed him. He was free.

_Just because you have fallen, doesn't mean you can't get back up. The weak will remain crumpled on the ground, but the strong would get up and carry the world through fire and flames. Being among the fallen isn't an everlasting curse; it is just a challenge. If you go all the way, if you keep heading forward even if people beat you down, you will always find the light at the end. You will always protect what is most important to you. _

_A strong heart conquers the iron fist with insurmountable power. One brave man can defeat a whole army. One courageous nation can destroy its merciless dictator._

_All it takes is that one man to muster the fire inside them. _

_All it takes is a broken man. _

_All it takes is one who has fallen numerous times but refused to let gravity get the best of him. _

_All it takes is someone who is lost, but was found by those who cared for him._

_All it takes…_

_Is the fighter inside you; the one who knows no matter what, the outcome must be in their favor. They may not actually know it, but the idea rests deep within their soul and it fuels them to end all pain. It's what makes a person great. It's what makes them never give up. _

_Find your passion, find your soul. If you stumble along the way, do not falter. _

_We're going to end with better days. _

_The End_

**A/N It's over. It finally ended. This is my first fan fiction. I'm glad I finished it. I guess now I have to start a new one. One door closes, and another opens. I hope you liked Fallen! I do believe I did a good job. Thanks for all the awesome reviews! **


End file.
